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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 20-F
(Mark One)
☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
or
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
the transition period from to
For
or
☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 000-51469
Baidu, Inc.
(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)
Baidu Campus
No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street
Haidian District, Beijing 100085
The People’s Republic of China
(Address of principal executive offices)
Rong Luo, Chief Financial Officer
Telephone: +(86 10) 5992-8888
Email: ir@baidu.com
Facsimile: +(86 10) 5992-0000
Baidu Campus
No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street,
Haidian District, Beijing 100085
The People’s Republic of China
(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Trading Symbol
BIDU
Title of Each Class
American depositary shares (each American depositary share
representing eight Class A ordinary shares, par value
US$0.000000625 per share)
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share*
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share
9888
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
(The Nasdaq Global Select Market)
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
(The Nasdaq Global Select Market)
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
*
Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on The Nasdaq Global Select Market of American depositary shares.
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)
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 2,205,032,472 Class A ordinary shares and 559,300,320
Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share, as of December 31, 2021.
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 ☒
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, if any, 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, a non-accelerated filer or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer”
“emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer ☒
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.
Emerging growth company ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated filer ☐
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. ☒
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP ☒
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.
International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☐ Other ☐
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 ☐
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Key Information
Information on the Company
Unresolved Staff Comments
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
Directors, Senior Management and Employees
Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
Financial Information
The Offer and Listing
Additional Information
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
INTRODUCTION
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
PART I
Item 1.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Item 4A.
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 8.
Item 9.
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
PART II
Item 13.
Item 14.
Item 15.
Item 16A.
Item 16B.
Item 16C.
Item 16D.
Item 16E.
Item 16F.
Item 16G.
Item 16H.
Item 16I.
PART III
Item 17.
Item 18.
Item 19.
SIGNATURES
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds
Controls and Procedures
Audit Committee Financial Expert
Code of Ethics
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
Corporate Governance
Mine Safety Disclosure
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Financial Statements
Financial Statements
Exhibits
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In this annual report, except where the context otherwise requires and for purposes of this annual report only:
INTRODUCTION
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“ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, each ADSs representing eight Class A ordinary shares;
“China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, and solely for the purpose of this annual report, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong
and Macau;
“Class A ordinary shares” refers to Class A ordinary shares of the share capital of our company with a par value of US$0.000000625 each,
conferring a holder of a Class A ordinary share one vote per share on all matters submitted for voting at general meetings of our company;
“Class B ordinary shares” refers to Class B ordinary shares of the share capital of our company with a par value of US$0.000000625 each,
conferring weighted voting rights in our company such that a holder of a Class B ordinary share is entitled to 10 votes per share on all
matters submitted for voting at general meetings of our company;
“DAU”, or daily active user, refers to the average number of mobile devices that launched our mobile apps at least once during a day
within a specific period;
“Hong Kong” or “HK” or “Hong Kong S.A.R.” are to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the PRC;
“Hong Kong Listing Rules” are to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, as
amended or supplemented from time to time;
“Hong Kong Share Registrar” are to Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited;
“Hong Kong Stock Exchange” are to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited;
“Main Board” are to the stock market (excluding the option market) operated by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange which is independent
from and operated in parallel with the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange;
“MAU”, or monthly active user, refers to the number of mobile devices that launched our mobile apps during a given month;
“our company” refers to Baidu, Inc.;
“RMB” or “Renminbi” refers to the legal currency of China;
“SFO” refers to the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong), as amended or supplemented from time to
time;
“shares” or “ordinary shares” refers to our ordinary shares, which include both Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares;
“user traffic” or “traffic” refers generally to page views of a website, with “page views” measuring the number of web pages viewed by
internet users over a specified period of time except that multiple page views of the same page viewed by the same user on the same day
are counted only once;
“U.S. GAAP” refers to generally accepted accounting principles in the United States;
“we,” “us,” “our,” or “Baidu” refers to Baidu, Inc., its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our operations and consolidated
financial information, our consolidated affiliated entities in China, including, but not limited to, Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology
Co., Ltd., or Baidu Netcom;
“iQIYI” refers to iQIYI, Inc., a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands listed on Nasdaq under the symbol “IQ” and one of our
subsidiaries;
“$,” “dollars,” “US$” or “U.S. dollars” refers to the legal currency of the United States; and
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all discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to
rounding.
On March 1, 2021, Baidu, Inc. effected a change to its authorized share capital by 1-to-80 subdivision of shares. Concurrently, Baidu, Inc. effected
a proportionate change in ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share to each ADS representing 8 Class A
ordinary shares, or the Share Subdivision. Such changes been reflected retroactively throughout this document.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This annual report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. These
statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-
looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “future,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” “is/are likely to” or
other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and
financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to:
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our operations and business prospects;
our business and operating strategies and our ability to implement such strategies;
our ability to develop and manage our operations and business;
competition for, among other things, capital, technology and skilled personnel;
our ability to control costs;
our ability to identify and conduct investments and acquisitions, obtain relevant regulatory approvals from governmental authorities, as
well as integrate acquired target(s);
changes to regulatory and operating conditions in the industry and geographical markets in which we operate;
our dividend policy; and
all other risks and uncertainties described in “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors.”
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.D. Key Information—Risk Factors.” Those risks are not exhaustive. We operate in a rapidly 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.
Unless otherwise noted, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars and from U.S. dollars to Renminbi in this annual report are made at a rate
of RMB6.3726 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of December 30, 2021 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of
the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts 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.
Item 1.
Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Not applicable.
PART I
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Item 2.
Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Not applicable.
Item 3.
Key Information
Our Corporate Structure and Contractual Arrangements with our Consolidated Affiliated Entities
Baidu, Inc. is not a PRC operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with operations primarily conducted through (i) our PRC
subsidiaries and (ii) contractual arrangements with its consolidated affiliated entities based in China. PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose
conditions on foreign investment in internet content, value-added telecommunication-based online marketing, audio and video services and mobile
application distribution businesses. Accordingly, we operate these businesses in China through our consolidated affiliated entities, and rely on
contractual arrangements among our PRC subsidiaries, our consolidated affiliated entities and their nominee shareholders to control the business
operations of our consolidated affiliated entities. External revenues contributed by our consolidated affiliated entities accounted for 40%, 43% and 44%
of our total external revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. As used in this annual report, “our company” refers
to Baidu, Inc., whereas “we,” “us,” “our,” or “Baidu” refers to Baidu, Inc., its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our operations and
consolidated financial information, our consolidated affiliated entities in China, including but not limited to Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology
Co., Ltd., or Baidu Netcom. Investors in our ADSs are not purchasing equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities in China but instead are
purchasing equity interest in a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands.
Our subsidiaries, our consolidated affiliated entities and their shareholders have entered into a series of contractual agreements. These contractual
arrangements enable us to:
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receive the economic benefits that could potentially be significant to our consolidated affiliated entities in consideration for the services
provided by our subsidiaries;
exercise effective control over our consolidated affiliated entities; and
hold an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our consolidated affiliated entities when and to the extent
permitted by PRC law.
These contractual arrangements among our subsidiaries, our consolidated affiliated entities and their shareholders generally include proxy
agreements, exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements or exclusive purchase option agreements, loan agreements, operating agreements
or business operation agreements, exclusive technology consulting and services agreements, and equity pledge agreements, as the case may be. As for
some of our consolidated affiliated entities, our subsidiaries have entered into additional business cooperation agreements, power of attorney, license
agreements and/or commitment letters (as the case may be) with these consolidated affiliated entities and their respective shareholders. Terms contained
in each set of contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and their respective shareholders are substantially similar. As a result of
the contractual arrangements, we have effective control over and are considered the primary beneficiary of these companies, and we have consolidated
the financial results of these companies in our consolidated financial statements. The nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and
Beijing iQIYI, our consolidated affiliated entities, are directors or members of senior management of us or iQIYI. We or iQIYI consider such people
suitable to act as the nominee shareholders of these consolidated affiliated entities because of, among other considerations, their contribution to us or
iQIYI, their competence and their length of service with and loyalty to us or iQIYI. For more details of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4.
Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities and the Nominee
Shareholders.”
However, the contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our consolidated affiliated
entities and we may incur substantial costs to enforce the terms of the
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arrangements. If our consolidated affiliated entities or the nominee shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the contractual
arrangements, we could be limited in our ability to enforce the contractual arrangements that give us effective control over our consolidated affiliated
entities, and these agreements have not been tested in China courts. Furthermore, if we are unable to maintain effective control, we would not be able to
continue to consolidate the financial results of these entities in our financial statements. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related
to Our Corporate Structure—Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China and the individual nominee shareholders
may not be as effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to
Our Corporate Structure—The individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities may have potential conflicts of interest with us,
which may adversely affect our business. We do not have any arrangements in place to address such potential conflicts.”
There are also substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations and rules regarding
the status of the rights of our Cayman Islands holding company with respect to its contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and
their nominee shareholders. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if
adopted, what they would provide. If we or any of our consolidated affiliated entities is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or
regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion in
accordance with the applicable laws and regulations to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk
Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—PRC laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of our contractual
arrangements are uncertain. If we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions. In addition, changes in PRC laws and regulations or
changes in interpretations thereof may materially and adversely affect our business,” and “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties
exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the new PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Regulations and how it may
impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”
Our corporate structure is subject to risks associated with our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities. Our company and
its investors may never have a direct ownership interest in the businesses that are conducted by our consolidated affiliated entities. Uncertainties in the
PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements have not been tested in a court of
law. If the PRC government finds that the agreements that establish the structure for operating our business in China do not comply with PRC laws and
regulations, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we and our consolidated
affiliated entities could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. This would result in our consolidated
affiliated entities being deconsolidated. The majority of our assets, including the necessary licenses to conduct business in China, are held by our
consolidated affiliated entities. A significant part of our revenues are generated by our consolidated affiliated entities. An event that results in the
deconsolidation of our consolidated affiliated entities would have a material effect on our operations and result in the value of the securities of our
company diminish substantially or even become worthless. Our company, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, and investors of our
company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with
our consolidated affiliated entities and, consequently, significantly affect the financial performance of our consolidated affiliated entities and our
company as a whole. Baidu, Inc. may not be able to repay its indebtedness, and the Class A ordinary shares or ADSs of our company may decline in
value or become worthless, if we are unable to assert our contractual control rights over the assets of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated
entities that conduct all or substantially all of our operations. For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, please refer
to risks disclosed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”
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Our company and our consolidated affiliated entities face various risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China. For example, we face
risks associated with regulatory approvals on offshore offerings, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy. We
also face risks associated with the lack of inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, on our auditors as discussed
under “—The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.”. These risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of
our ADSs, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer securities to investors, or cause the value of such securities to
significantly decline. For a detailed description of risks related to doing business in China, see “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Doing Business in China.”
PRC government’s significant authority in regulating our operations and its oversight and control over offerings conducted overseas by, and
foreign investment in, China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors.
Implementation of industry-wide regulations, including data security or anti-monopoly related regulations, in this nature may cause the value of such
securities to significantly decline. For more details, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—The
PRC government’s significant oversight over our business operation could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our
ADSs.”
Risks and uncertainties arising from the legal system in China, including risks and uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and quickly
evolving rules and regulations in China, could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ADSs. For more details, see
“Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and
implementation of the new PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Regulations and how it may impact the viability of our current
corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.”
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states that if the SEC
determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three
consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange. Since our auditor is
located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditor is
not currently inspected by the PCAOB, which may impact our ability to remain listed on a United States or other foreign exchange. The related risks and
uncertainties could cause the value of our ADSs to significantly decline. For more details, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Doing Business in China—The PCAOB is currently unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial
statements and the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections over our auditor deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections” and
“Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Our ADSs may be prohibited from trading in the United
States under the HFCAA in 2024 if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or fully investigate auditors located in China, or as early as 2023 if proposed
changes to the law are enacted. The delisting of our ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your
investment.”
Permissions Required from the PRC Authorities for Our Operations
We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. Our operations in China are governed by
PRC laws and regulations. As of the date of this annual report, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities have obtained the requisite
licenses and permits from the PRC government authorities that are material for the business operations of our subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated
entities in China, including, among others, the Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License, the Internet News Information Service
License, the Short Messaging Service Access Code Certificate, the Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, the Radio and Television
Program Production License, the Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services, the Internet Culture Business
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Permit, the Internet Publication Service License, the Publication Business Operating License, the Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information
Services, the Human Resource Services License, the Filing Certificate for the Online Transaction Platform, the Filing Certificate for Business of
Category II Medical Devices, the Registration Certificate for Medical Devices, the Food Business License, the Medicine Business License, the Filing
Certificate for the Online Publication Transaction Platform, the Internet Domain Name Services License and the License for Pilot Operation of
Commercial Autonomous Transportation Services. Given the uncertainties of interpretation and implementation of relevant laws and regulations and the
enforcement practice by relevant government authorities, we may be required to obtain additional licenses, permits, filings or approvals for the functions
and services of our platform in the future. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing
Business in China—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulations of internet and related business and
companies.”
Furthermore, in connection with our issuance of securities to foreign investors, under current PRC laws, regulations and regulatory rules, as of the
date of this annual report, we, our PRC subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated entities, (i) are not required to obtain permissions from the China
Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, (ii) are not required to go through cybersecurity review by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or
the CAC, and (iii) have not been asked to obtain such permissions by any PRC authority.
However, the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas
and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to
Doing Business in China—The approval of and filing with the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our
offshore offerings under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to obtain such approval or complete such
filing.”
Cash Flows through Our Organization
Baidu, Inc. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities in China. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, Baidu,
Inc.’s ability to pay dividends to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries and
license and service fees paid by our PRC consolidated affiliated entities. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf, the instruments
governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Baidu, Inc. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries are permitted to pay dividends to Baidu,
Inc. only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Further, our PRC
subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds or may make appropriations to
certain discretionary funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies. For more details,
see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Holding Company Structure.”
Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are subject to certain restrictions with respect to paying
dividends or otherwise transferring any of their net assets to us. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned enterprise out of China is also
subject to examination by the banks designated by State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE. The amounts restricted include the paid-up
capital and the statutory reserve funds of our PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of our consolidated affiliated entities in which we have no legal
ownership, totaling RMB40.8 billion, RMB45.0 billion and RMB45.9 billion (US$7.2 billion) as of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
For risks relating to the fund flows of our operations in China, see “Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China
—Our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are subject to restrictions on paying dividends and making other payments to our holding
company.”
In 2020, certain of our PRC subsidiaries have declared and distributed profits earned to Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited for an aggregate amount of
US$1.5 billion; the dividend payments are subject to withholding tax. We
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have made tax provisions based on the corresponding tax rate. If our PRC subsidiaries further declare and distribute profits earned after January 1, 2008
in the future, the dividend payments will be subject to withholding tax, which will increase our tax liability and reduce the amount of cash available to
our company. For the potential distributable profits to be distributed to our qualified Hong Kong incorporated subsidiary, the deferred tax liabilities are
accrued at a 5% withholding tax rate. For more information on related risks, please see “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to
Doing Business in China—If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute dividends to their respective offshore parent companies, we will be required to
pay more taxes, which could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations.”
Under PRC law, Baidu Inc. may provide funding to our PRC subsidiaries only through capital contributions or loans, and to our PRC consolidated
affiliated entities only through loans, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration and approval requirements.
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Baidu, Inc. provided loans with principal amount of RMB1.5 billion, RMB10.0 billion
and RMB14.5 billion (US$2.3 billion), respectively, to its subsidiaries, and the subsidiaries repaid principal amount of RMB13.0 billion,
RMB15.4 billion and RMB4.9 billion (US$766 million), respectively, to Baidu, Inc.
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the subsidiaries of Baidu, Inc. provided loans with principal amount of RMB3.3 billion,
RMB6.5 billion and RMB3.1 billion (US$486 million), respectively, to Baidu, Inc. and Baidu, Inc. repaid principal amount of RMB3.1 billion,
RMB3.5 billion and RMB3.0 billion (US$468 million), respectively, to its subsidiaries.
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, our PRC consolidated affiliated entities received RMB11.7 billion, RMB5.0 billion and
RMB6.9 billion (US$1.1 billion), respectively, as capital contributions or loans from the subsidiaries of Baidu, Inc. and the PRC consolidated affiliated
entities repaid principal amount of RMB9.1 billion, RMB1.1 billion, and nil, respectively, to the subsidiaries.
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, our PRC consolidated affiliated entities provided loans with principal amount of nil,
RMB261 million and RMB450 million (US$71 million), respectively, to the subsidiaries of Baidu, Inc. and the subsidiaries repaid principal amount of
nil, RMB36 million and RMB10 million (US$2 million), respectively, to our PRC consolidated affiliated entities.
Baidu, Inc. has not declared or paid any cash dividends, nor does it has any present plan to pay any cash dividends on its ordinary shares in the
foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business. See
“Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividend Policy.” For PRC and United States federal
income tax considerations of an investment in our ADSs, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation.”
A.
Selected Financial Data
The following table presents the selected consolidated financial information for our company. The selected consolidated statements of
comprehensive income data and cash flow data for the three years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and the consolidated balance sheets data as
of December 31, 2020 and 2021 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report
beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive income data and cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2017
and 2018 and the selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019 have been derived from our audited consolidated
financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2018 and 2019, which are not included in this annual report. Our historical results do not
necessarily indicate results expected for any future periods. The selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with, and are
qualified in their entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review
and Prospects” below. Our audited consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
7
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Starting from January 1, 2018, we adopted ASC Topic 606, Revenue from contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), which reclassifies value added
taxes, or VAT, from cost of revenues to net against revenues, among other changes. The consolidated statement of comprehensive income data for the
years ended December 31, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 presented below have been prepared in accordance with ASC 606, while the consolidated
statements of comprehensive income data for the year ended December 31, 2017 presented below have been prepared in accordance with ASC Topic
605, Revenue Recognition (“ASC 605”).
Year Ended December 31,
2017(1)
RMB
2018(2)
RMB
(In millions, except per share and per ADS data)
2020(2)
RMB
2019(2)
RMB
RMB
2021(2)
US$
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Data:
Revenues:
Online marketing services
Others
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit
Total other income (loss), net
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income taxes
Net income (loss)
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
73,146
80,695 12,663
6,873
11,663
43,798
84,809 102,277 107,413 107,074 124,493 19,536
78,093
29,320
72,840
34,234
81,912
20,365
43,062
13,128
12,928
69,118
15,691
5,592
21,283
2,995
18,288
(13)
18,301
62,850
51,744
19,910
19,231
15,772
18,346
86,747 101,106
6,307
15,530
(6,647)
11,795
(340)
27,325
1,948
4,743
(2,288)
22,582
(4,345)
(4,991)
2,057
27,573
64,314 10,092
55,158
3,879
24,723
18,063
19,513
3,914
24,938
92,734 113,975 17,885
1,651
14,340
8,750
40
1,691
23,090
4,064
500
1,191
19,026
(3,446)
(414)
1,605
22,472
10,518
260
10,778
3,187
7,591
(2,635)
10,226
(1)
(2)
VAT is presented in cost of revenues rather than net against revenues in accordance with the legacy revenue accounting standard (ASC 605).
VAT is presented as net against revenues rather than in cost of revenues in accordance with the new revenue accounting standard (ASC 606).
2017
2018
As of December 31,
2020
2019
2021
RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$
(In millions)
Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Short-term investments, net(1)
Total assets(2)
Short-term loans
Long-term loans, current portion
Long-term loans
Notes payable, current portion
Notes payable
Convertible senior notes, current portion
Convertible senior notes
Total liabilities
Total Baidu, Inc. shareholders’ equity
8
252
2,189
1,244
10
6,701
6,500
11,084 27,638 33,443 35,782 36,850 5,783
758 10,821 1,697
996
89,381 111,626 112,924 126,402 143,243 22,478
251,728 297,566 301,316 332,708 380,034 59,636
654
2 —
— 12,629 1,982
— 10,505 1,648
29,111 42,735 38,090 48,408 43,120 6,766
— —
—
4,712 12,297 11,927 12,652 1,985
121,356 121,814 128,501 140,865 156,082 24,492
115,346 162,897 163,599 182,696 211,459 33,183
3,046
84
7,456
6,871
2,618
737
7,804
5,219
3,016
7,427
—
—
4,168
4,752
—
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(1) We adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial
Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”) on January 1, 2020, which requires the measurement and recognition of expected credit losses for financial assets held at amortized
cost. ASU 2016-13 replaces the existing incurred loss impairment model with an expected loss methodology, which will result in more timely recognition of credit
losses.
(2) We adopted ASU No. 2016-02: Leases on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective transition method. Right-of-use assets (“ROU assets”) and lease
liabilities (including current and non-current) for operating leases are presented on the face of the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2019, 2020 and
2021, while the consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2017 and 2018 have been prepared in accordance with ASC Topic 840, Leases (“ASC 840”).
Consolidated Cash Flow Data:
Net cash provided by operating activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
2017
RMB
2018
RMB
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
US$
Year Ended December 31,
(In millions)
32,828 35,967 28,458 24,200 20,122 3,158
(76,949) (34,460) (19,974) (27,552) (31,444) (4,934)
5,665 23,396 3,671
44,557 15,082
2,101 11,131 1,747
120 18,491
(3,873)
4,612
Financial Information Related to the Consolidated Affiliated Entities
The following tables present the condensed consolidating schedule of financial performance, financial position and cash flows for our
consolidated affiliated entities and other entities for the periods and as of the dates presented.
Selected Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Information
Revenue
Net (loss) income
Revenue
Net (loss) income
For the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
—
(2,245)
83,428
10,082
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
61,380
(220)
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
(20,315)
(26)
124,493
7,591
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
52,666
2,091
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
(15,017)
(66)
107,074
19,026
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
—
(2,082)
9
69,425
19,083
Table of Contents
Revenue
Net (loss) income
Selected Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets Information
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments, net
Accounts receivable, net
Others
Total current assets
Fixed assets, net
Intangible assets, net
Licensed copyrights, net
Produced content, net
Long-term investments, net
Investments in subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and
their subsidiaries(1)
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Others
Total non-current assets
Amounts due from the entities within Baidu(2)
Total assets
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Customer deposits and deferred revenue
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total current liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total non-current liabilities
Amounts due to the entities within Baidu(2)
Total liabilities
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
—
(1,530)
72,172
2,228
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
51,988
(2,950)
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
(16,747)
(36)
107,413
(2,288)
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
As of December 31, 2021
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
11,448
6,499
—
61
18,008
199
—
—
—
—
13,014
—
—
13,213
6,116
37,337
712
—
—
10,450
11,162
—
55,748
55,748
—
66,910
10
22,523
133,758
2,491
15,106
173,878
13,923
75
4,969
525
44,334
24,096
4,989
33,700
126,611
22,516
323,005
22,320
7,656
243
2,515
32,734
316
19,244
19,560
—
52,294
2,879
2,986
7,490
8,074
21,429
8,905
1,614
2,289
10,426
22,998
106
7,076
10,697
64,111
—
85,540
18,352
6,050
2,619
3,571
30,592
5,253
1,033
6,286
28,632
65,510
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(37,216)
—
—
(37,216)
(28,632)
(65,848)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(28,632)
(28,632)
36,850
143,243
9,981
23,241
213,315
23,027
1,689
7,258
10,951
67,332
—
12,065
44,397
166,719
—
380,034
41,384
13,706
2,862
16,536
74,488
5,569
76,025
81,594
—
156,082
Table of Contents
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments, net
Accounts receivable, net
Others
Total current assets
Fixed assets, net
Intangible assets, net
Licensed copyrights, net
Produced content, net
Long-term investments, net
Investments in subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and
their subsidiaries(1)
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Others
Total non-current assets
Amounts due from the entities within Baidu(2)
Total assets
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Customer deposits and deferred revenue
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total current liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total non-current liabilities
Amounts due to the entities within Baidu(2)
Total liabilities
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
As of December 31, 2020
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
4,079
—
—
78
4,157
192
—
—
—
—
8,471
—
—
8,663
—
12,820
649
—
—
6,453
7,102
—
48,408
48,408
3,854
59,364
29,355
119,472
2,517
3,852
155,196
12,338
523
5,442
426
57,141
22,051
3,344
23,091
124,356
23,446
302,998
21,704
6,635
298
7,595
36,232
317
18,236
18,553
—
54,785
2,348
6,930
6,151
8,560
23,989
4,978
1,499
993
6,130
19,092
1,615
6,460
7,717
48,484
—
72,473
14,363
5,991
2,068
2,629
25,051
4,376
1,143
5,519
19,592
50,162
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(32,137)
—
—
(32,137)
(23,446)
(55,583)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(23,446)
(23,446)
35,782
126,402
8,668
12,490
183,342
17,508
2,022
6,435
6,556
76,233
—
9,804
30,808
149,366
—
332,708
36,716
12,626
2,366
16,677
68,385
4,693
67,787
72,480
—
140,865
Note:
(1)
(2)
It represents the elimination of the investment in our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and their subsidiaries.
It represents the elimination of intercompany balances among Baidu, Inc., our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities and their subsidiaries.
Selected Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2021
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities
Net cash (used in)/provided by investing activities
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
(1,853)
(16,183)
25,628
17,717
(24,971)
11,167
4,121
(7,551)
3,999
137
17,261
(17,398)
20,122
(31,444)
23,396
11
For the Year Ended December 31, 2020
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
(1,912)
5,921
(1,757)
21,346
(26,396)
5,018
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
4,616
(8,382)
3,859
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
150
1,305
(1,455)
24,200
(27,552)
5,665
For the Year Ended December 31, 2019
Baidu, Inc.
Subsidiaries
(1,720)
12,870
(11,494)
28,413
(19,817)
(4,065)
Consolidated
Affiliated
Entities and
their
subsidiaries
RMB
(In millions)
1,649
(4,829)
3,604
Eliminations
Consolidated
Total
116
(8,198)
8,082
28,458
(19,974)
(3,873)
Table of Contents
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities
Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities
Net cash (used in)/provided by financing activities
B.
Capitalization and Indebtedness
Not applicable.
C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
Not applicable.
D. Risk Factors
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares involves significant risks. Below is a summary of material risks we face, organized under
relevant headings. These risks are discussed more fully in Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
•
•
•
•
If we fail to retain existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services, our business, results of operations and
growth prospects could be seriously harmed;
Our business and results of operations could continue to be materially and adversely affected by the challenging macroeconomic
environment impacting online marketing demand;
Our business depends on a strong brand, and if we are unable to maintain and enhance our brand, our business and results of operations
may be harmed;
We face risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live and its online live streaming business;
12
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•
•
•
•
We face significant competition and may suffer from loss of users and customers as a result;
If our expansions into new businesses are not successful, our results of operation and growth prospects may be materially and adversely
affected;
We have experienced slowdowns and declines in our revenues, and we may sustain net loss from time to time, and we may experience
downward pressure on our operating and profit margins in the future;
Our business is subject to complex and evolving Chinese and international laws and regulations, including those regarding data privacy
and cybersecurity. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims,
penalties, changes to our business practices, increased cost of operations, damages to our reputation and brand, or declines in user growth
or engagement, or otherwise harm our business; and
•
We have been and may again be subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations and could be adversely impacted by unfavorable
results of legal proceedings and investigations.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
•
•
•
Our company is a Cayman Islands holding company with no equity ownership in our consolidated affiliated entities and we conduct our
operations in China through (i) our PRC subsidiaries and (ii) our consolidated affiliated entities with which we have maintained contractual
arrangements. Investors in our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs thus are not purchasing equity interest in our consolidated affiliated
entities in China but instead are purchasing equity interest in a Cayman Islands holding company. If the PRC government deems that our
contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in
the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future,
we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. Our holding company in the Cayman
Islands, our consolidated affiliated entities, and investors of our company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC
government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and, consequently,
significantly affect the financial performance of our consolidated affiliated entities and our company as a group;
Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China and the individual nominee shareholders may not be as
effective in providing control over these entities as direct ownership; and
We are in the process of registering the pledges of equity interests by nominee shareholders of some of our consolidated affiliated entities,
and we may not be able to enforce the equity pledges against any third parties who acquire the equity interests in good faith in the relevant
consolidated affiliated entities before the pledges are registered.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
•
•
•
•
Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our
business and results of operations;
The approval of and/or filing with the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our offshore
offerings under PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to obtain such approval or complete
such filing;
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us;
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulations of internet and related business and
companies;
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•
•
•
•
•
The PRC government’s significant oversight over our business operation could result in a material adverse change in our operations and
the value of our ADSs;
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with the enacted Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms and other anti-
monopoly laws and regulations may result in governmental investigations or enforcement actions, litigation or claims against us and could
have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations;
It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China;
The PCAOB is currently unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the
inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections over our auditor deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections; and
Our ADSs will be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCA Act in 2024 if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or fully
investigate auditors located in China, or as early as 2023 if proposed changes to the law are enacted. The delisting of our ADSs, or the
threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.
Risks Related to our ADSs and Class A Ordinary Shares
•
•
•
•
The trading price of our ADSs and/or our Class A ordinary shares has been and is likely to continue to be volatile regardless of our
operating performance;
We adopt different practices as to certain matters as compared with many other companies primarily listed on the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange;
Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs in the public market could cause the price
of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs to decline; and
The different characteristics of the capital markets in Hong Kong and the U.S. may negatively affect the trading prices of our Class A
ordinary shares and/or ADSs.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
If we fail to retain existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services, our business, results of operations and growth
prospects could be seriously harmed.
We generate a substantial majority of our revenues from online marketing services, a substantial majority of which are derived from our
pay-for-performance, or P4P, services. Our online marketing customers will not continue to do business with us if their investment does not generate
sales leads and ultimately consumers, or if we do not deliver their web pages in an appropriate and effective manner. Our P4P customers may choose to
discontinue their business with us, which are not subject to fixed-term contracts. In addition, third parties may develop and use certain technologies to
block the display of our customers’ advertisements and other marketing products on our Baidu platform, which may in turn cause us to lose customers
and adversely affect our results of operations. Furthermore, as our auction-based P4P services enable our customers to bid for priority placement of their
paid sponsored links, we may lose customers if they find the bidding mechanism not cost effective or otherwise not attractive. Additionally, if our users
do not increase their engagement on our platform, or our content ecosystem fails to offer rich and quality content that meets users’ tastes and
preferences, or our users spend more time with or otherwise satisfy their content consumption demands on competing platforms, or we otherwise
experience user traffic decline due to any reason, it would be difficult for us to attract new customers or retain existing customers. If our customers
determine that their expenditures on our platform do not generate expected returns, they may allocate a portion or all of their advertising budgets to
other advertising channels, such as other online marketing platforms, television and outdoor media, and reduce or discontinue business with us. Failure
to retain our existing customers or attract new customers for our online marketing services could
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seriously harm our business, results of operations and growth prospects. We have recorded substantial customer deposits and deferred revenue, which
mainly consist of deposits received from certain customers of our online marketing services. If we are unable to fulfill our obligation in respect of such
customer deposits and deferred revenue, we may have to refund the balance to our customers and our cash flow and liquidity position would be
materially adversely affected.
Since most of our customers are not bound by long-term contracts, they may amend or terminate advertising arrangements with us. Failure to
retain existing customers or attract new ones to advertise on our platform may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results
of operations and prospects.
We have in the past removed, and may in the future again remove, questionable listings or advertisements to ensure the quality and reliability of
our search results and/or information feed. Such removal, whether temporary or permanent, may cause affected customers to discontinue their business
with us or negatively impact our relationships with affected Baidu Union partners. We also examine the relevant business licenses and bank accounts of
prospective customers prior to business engagement, as a quality control measure. In addition, we have taken steps to implement measures requested by
PRC regulatory authorities, such as modifying paid search practices and limiting the displays of advertisements in connection with certain industries. We
have also proactively implemented numerous additional measures to deliver a better user experience and build a safer and more trustworthy platform for
users. Such measures have had a negative impact on the number of customers and our revenues, although we believe such impact is likely to be
temporary. PRC regulations on online marketing services are evolving, and uncertainties remain with respect to the implementation of and compliance
with new regulations that may emerge, which in turn may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and growth prospects.
Our business and results of operations could continue to be materially and adversely affected by the challenging macroeconomic environment
impacting online marketing demand.
Online marketing services continue to be a primary source of our revenues and resumed growth in 2021, although we experienced declines in
online marketing revenues in 2019 and 2020, mainly due to the weakness in online advertising demand as our customers face challenging
macroeconomic environment in their respective industries and in the general economy, including the significant adverse impact of the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020. Our business and results of operations could continue to be materially and adversely affected by the challenging macroeconomic
environment and the general growth in online marketing through internet search or feed. While the internet has developed to a more advanced stage in
China, customers have many channels to conduct online marketing and promotions. As users may not spend as much time on search-plus-newsfeed as
they do on other types of internet platforms, many current and potential customers may not allocate as much of their marketing budgets to online
marketing through search-plus-newsfeed, as compared to other methods of online marketing. Our ability to increase revenue and profitability from
online marketing may be adversely impacted by a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, including but not limited to:
•
•
•
•
•
difficulties associated with developing and maintaining a larger user base with demographic characteristics attractive to online marketing
customers and maintaining and increasing user engagement;
increased competition and potential re-allocation of marketing budgets and downward pressure on online marketing prices, for example,
resulting from an oversupply of advertising inventory released into the market;
higher customer acquisition costs due in part to the limited experience of small to medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, with the internet as
a marketing channel or due to competition;
decreased use of our search and paid click because search queries are increasingly being undertaken via voice-activated smart devices,
apps, social media or other online platforms;
ineffectiveness of our online marketing delivery, tracking and reporting systems;
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•
•
decreased use of internet or online marketing in China; and
tightened regulatory environment in China’s internet and mobile internet space.
Our business depends on a strong brand, and if we are unable to maintain and enhance our brand, our business and results of operations may be
harmed.
We believe that our brand “Baidu” has contributed significantly to the success of our business. We also believe that maintaining and enhancing the
“Baidu” brand is critical to increasing the number of our users, customers, Baidu Union partners and content providers, as well as to expanding our
developer communities and to attracting and retaining enterprise and public sector customers and partners. We have conducted various marketing and
brand promotion activities, but we cannot assure you that these activities will achieve the brand promotion effect expected by us. If we fail to maintain
and further promote the “Baidu” brand, or if we incur excessive expenses in this effort, our business and results of operations may be materially and
adversely affected.
In addition, any negative publicity about us, our products and services, our employees, our business practices, our search results or the platform to
which our search results link, regardless of its veracity, could harm our brand image and in turn adversely affect our business and results of operations.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to defuse negative publicity to the satisfaction of our investors, users, customers and business partners. From
time to time, there has been negative publicity about us, our brand image, our value proposition and our business practice, which has adversely affected
our public image and reputation during certain periods of intense negative publicity. For example, in 2019, Shenzhen Consumer Council received
complaints from users who encountered false travel information provided by false travel agencies through search listings on Baidu. Moreover, our
platform and services by nature may from time to time be related to, or perceived to be related to, certain controversial public events or discussion,
leading to public criticism against us. The negative publicity surrounding similar incidents have resulted in significant adverse impact on our public
image and reputation. Intense negative publicity may divert our management’s attention and may adversely impact our business. We cannot assure you
that our brand, public image and reputation will not be materially and adversely affected in the future.
We face risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live and its online live streaming business.
Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, our wholly-owned subsidiary, entered into definitive agreements with JOYY Inc. and certain of its affiliates, which
are collectively referred to as JOYY, to acquire JOYY’s domestic video-based entertainment live streaming business in China (“YY Live”) on
November 16, 2020, and subsequently amended the share purchase agreement on February 7, 2021. The closing of this acquisition is subject to certain
conditions, including, among others, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals from governmental authorities. The share purchase agreement is subject
to termination if the closing does not occur by the long stop date, and we and JOYY have agreed to extend the long stop date to March 31, 2022, which
may be further extended through mutual agreement of both parties, if the approval has not been obtained by then. We have paid an aggregate of
US$1.9 billion, after considering working capital adjustment of US$0.1 billion, to JOYY and its designated escrow account, and deposited an aggregate
of US$1.6 billion into several escrow accounts, in accordance with the terms and schedule set forth in the share purchase agreement. Despite good faith
efforts, we have not obtained necessary regulatory approvals with respect to the proposed acquisition as of the date of this annual report. There can be no
assurance that the relevant regulatory approvals will be obtained or the acquisition of YY Live will be closed. In the event the acquisition is not closed,
we will not be able to achieve the intended objectives, benefits or opportunities associated thereto, despite the significant diversion of resources and
management attention to date, and we may also suffer from material adverse impact on our business, prospects, reputation, liquidity, financial results
and face disputes or other proceedings.
On November 18, 2020, Muddy Waters issued a short seller report containing certain allegations against JOYY, including YY Live business.
Based on public records, in November 2020, JOYY and certain of its current and former officers and directors were named as defendants in a federal
putative securities class action alleging
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that they made material misstatements and omissions in documents filed with the SEC regarding certain of the allegations contained in the Muddy
Waters short seller report. In March 2022, the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss in its entirety with prejudice. On February 8, 2021, JOYY
publicly disclosed that its audit committee conducted an independent review of the allegations raised in the report related to the YY Live business, with
the assistance of independent counsel, working with a team of experienced forensic auditors and data analytics experts, and that the review concluded
that the allegations raised and conclusions reached in the report about the YY Live business were not substantiated. We are unable to predict any further
consequence that may arise from or relate in any way to the allegations contained in the Muddy Waters short seller report. There might be other class
actions or regulatory enforcement actions in connection with such allegations. Any adverse outcome as a result of the short seller report, or any class
action or regulatory enforcement action in connection thereof, could have a material adverse effect on YY Live’s business, financial condition, results of
operation, cash flows, and reputation, and we may record impairment charges of intangible assets and goodwill in connection with the acquisition, if
closed, in the future. Although the allegations against JOYY have been proven to be groundless, we had already allocated a portion of our resources to
make assessment in relation to the short seller report and various matters provided for in the share purchase agreement. In the event that there is a
dispute as to whether indemnification provision is triggered, we may need to utilize a significant portion of our resources and divert management’s
attention from our day-to-day operations to resolve such disputes, including any litigation or other legal proceedings arising thereof.
Even if the acquisition of YY Live is closed eventually, there can be no assurance that the acquisition will bring the anticipated benefits and
opportunities to us. We have relatively limited experience with operating the online live streaming business and we may not be able to successfully
integrate YY Live into our existing business. We face uncertainties and challenges in navigating the complex regulatory environment, competing
effectively in attracting and retaining users and hosts, and developing and/or upgrading products and services as well as technologies to meet
everchanging user needs. If implemented ineffectively or if impacted by unforeseen negative economic or market conditions or other factors, we may
not realize the full anticipated benefits of the acquisition of YY Live. Our failure to meet the challenges involved in realizing the anticipated benefits of
the acquisition of YY Live could cause an interruption of, or a loss of momentum in, our activities and could adversely affect our results of operations.
The acquisition and integration of the businesses may result in material unanticipated problems, expenses, liabilities, competitive responses and
diversion of management’s attention, and we may record impairment charges in connection therewith if the anticipated benefits of the acquisition fail to
realize. We would be subject to and may not be able to successfully manage a variety of additional risks associated with combining YY Live with us.
These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
the online live streaming business is based on a relatively new business model in a relatively new market in which user demand may
change or decrease substantially;
challenges in the integration of operations and systems and in managing the expanded operations of a larger and more complex company;
challenges in achieving anticipated business opportunities and growth prospects from combining YY Live with the rest of our businesses;
rules and measures governing online live streaming businesses and hosts are complex and evolving, and we may not be able to navigate
such complex regulatory environment or to respond to future changes in regulatory environment in an effective and timely manner;
we may face significant risks related to the content and communications on YY Live, as a majority of the communications on YY Live are
conducted in real time, and we are unable to verify the sources of all information posted thereon or examine the content generated by users
before it is posted;
the revenue model for online live streaming may not remain effective, and we may not be able to retain existing users, attract new users,
keep users engaged and attract more paying users;
we may not be able to retain or attract popular talents such as performers, channel managers, professional game players, commentators and
hosts for our live streaming platform or these talents may fail to draw fans or participants; and
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unanticipated additional costs and expenses resulting from integrating into our business additional personnel, operations, products,
services, technology, internal controls and financial reporting responsibilities.
In addition, on March 12, 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, and the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOC,
issued the Negative List for Market Access (2022 Version), which, among others, prohibits non-state capital from engaging in live streaming and
broadcasting of events and activities involving politics, economy, military affairs, diplomatic affairs, major social events, culture, science and
technology, public health, education and sports and such other activities and events related to political direction, public opinion orientation and value
orientation. The scope of these restricted subject matters for live streaming and broadcasting is relatively broad and vague, and is subject to further
clarifications and interpretations by the regulator. Even if we were able to close the acquisition of YY Live eventually, we may need to further adjust the
business and operations of YY Live, which may be adversely affected.
We face significant competition and may suffer from loss of users and customers as a result.
We face significant competition in almost every aspect of our business. For Baidu Core business, our primary competitors are mainly internet
companies, online marketing platforms in China and other search engines. We compete with these entities for both users and customers on the basis of
user traffic, cyber security quality (relevance) of search (and other marketing and advertising) results, availability and user experience products and
services, distribution channels and the number of associated third-party websites. iQIYI competes with other internet media and entertainment services,
such as internet and social platforms and short-form video platforms, as well as major TV stations. iQIYI competes with these market players for both
users and advertising customers, and primarily on the basis of obtaining IP rights to popular content, conducting brand promotions and other marketing
activities, and making investments in and acquisitions of business partners. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—
Competition.” Some of our competitors have significant financial resources, long operating histories and are experienced in attracting and retaining their
users, accommodating their users’ habits and preferences and managing customers. They may use their experience and resources to compete with us in a
variety of ways, including competing for users and their time, customers, third-party agents, content, strategic partners and networks of third-party
websites/wapsites, investing more heavily in research and development and making investments and acquisitions. Our business environment is rapidly
evolving and competitive. Our business faces changing technologies, shifting user needs, and frequent introductions of rival products and services.
Some of our competitors in the search sector may have innovative business models, extensive distribution network or proprietary content or
technologies that may provide users with better user experience and customers with better services. They may use their resources in ways that could
affect our competitive position, including developing new products, making acquisitions, continuing to invest heavily in research and development and
in talent, and continuing to compete aggressively for users, advertisers, customers, the acquisition of traffic and content. If any of our competitors
provides comparable or better Chinese language search and feed experience or internet video services, our user traffic could decline significantly.
Additionally, if the channels and properties that we use to distribute services or products to our users and customers are no longer available to us, we
may experience a decline in user traffic. Any such decline in traffic could weaken our brand and result in loss of users and customers, which could have
a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.
There are vertical service providers in the forms of mobile apps and/or websites that allow users to search within their closed ecosystems. There
players often purchase traffic from search engineers and try to retain their users by offering comprehensive services on their platforms. As these vertical
service providers expand, though they will continue to acquire traffic from search engines, their reliance on search engines may decline, especially if
they can consolidate their industry verticals.
We also face competition from other types of advertising media, including traditional advertising media, such as newspapers, magazines, yellow
pages, billboards, other forms of outdoor media, television and radio,
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mobile apps, webcasting and online video. Large companies in China generally allocate, and may continue to allocate, a limited portion of their budgets
to online marketing, as opposed to traditional advertising and other forms of advertising media. If these companies do not devote a larger portion of their
marketing budgets to online marketing services provided by us, or if our existing customers reduce the amount they spend on online marketing, our
results of operations and growth prospects could be adversely affected.
If our expansions into new businesses are not successful, our results of operation and growth prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
As part of our growth strategy, we enter into new businesses from time to time to generate additional revenue streams and through our
development of new business lines or strategic investments in or acquisitions of other businesses. Expansions into new businesses may present
operating, marketing and compliance challenges that differ from those that we currently encounter.
We have invested significant resources in the research and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and have made significant
progress in the commercialization of AI-enabled offerings, including in-app services, cloud services and solutions, intelligent driving services and
solutions and smart devices and services. We plan to continue to invest capital and other resources into our AI-enabled business operations. However, AI
technology is rapidly evolving with significant uncertainties, and we cannot assure you that our investment and exploration in AI technology and
AI-enabled products and services will be successful. Our operating results may also suffer if our innovation is not responsive to the needs of our users,
customers and partners, inappropriately timed with market opportunities, or marketed ineffectively. For example, we have limited experience with
operating and scaling AI-enabled business, including cloud services and solutions, intelligent driving services and solutions and smart devices and
services, which could subject us to various challenges and risks, including developing and managing relationships with enterprises and public sector
customers and partners, who are likely to have different needs and preferences from our existing customers, users and partners, highly competitive
procurement processes, instances of corrupt practices or other illegal gains, longer receivable payment cycles and lower collection rates. We also may
not alter our business practices in time to avoid or reduce adverse effects from any of the foregoing risks. In addition, our AI-enabled business requires
very different products and services, sales and marketing channels and internal operational systems and processes. These requirements could disrupt our
current operations and harm our financial condition and operating results, especially during the initial stage of investment, development and scaling of
our new AI-enabled offerings.
We may also enter into other markets and industries/industry verticals that are new to us through organic business initiatives or investment and
acquisitions, such as e-commerce and healthcare vertical including internet hospital, which may subject us to different and unforeseen risks. However,
we cannot assure you that such efforts will be successful. For these new markets and industries/industry verticals, we may not have sufficient experience
and may not be able to navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory environment or forecast and meet the continually changing demands and preferences for
products and services. Some of these new markets and industries/industry verticals are emerging with relatively novel and untested business models.
Any of the foregoing could pose significant challenges to us. We may not realize the anticipated benefits of our investments or acquisitions, due to the
uncertainties related to the performance and valuation of the relevant targets, or failure to integrate the targets into our existing business, or difficulty in
operating the acquired business with our existing expertise and resources. See also “—Our strategy of investments and acquiring complementary
businesses and assets may fail.”
It is uncertain whether our strategies will attract users and customers or generate the revenue required to succeed. If we fail to generate sufficient
usage of our new products and services, we may not grow revenue in line with the significant resources we invest in these new businesses. This may
negatively impact gross margins and operating income. Commercial success of our expansion into new business areas depends on many factors,
including innovativeness, competitiveness, effectiveness of distribution and marketing, and pricing and
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investments strategies, especially in the early stage of competition for market share. For example, the smart transportation industry is highly competitive
and fragmented. Our current and potential competitors in this industry range from large and established technology companies to emerging start-ups.
Some competitors have longer operating histories in the sector. They can use their experience, resources and network in ways that could affect our
competitive position, including making acquisitions, continuing to invest heavily in research and development and in talents, aggressively initiating
intellectual property claims (whether or not meritorious), and continuing to compete aggressively for customers, partners and investees. Our competitors
may be able to innovate and provide products and services faster than we can or may foresee product-and-service needs before us. As a result, we may
not achieve significant revenues from our new business areas, such as our AI-enabled business operations, for several years, or at all, and may incur
significant losses during the process and fail to recoup our investments. On the other hand, market conditions and general acceptance of products and
services could be adversely impacted if other players in the market fail to adopt appropriate business and operational model, develop and offer
successful products and services and develop and adapt appropriate technologies and infrastructure. If the markets of our new businesses, such as
intelligent driving and electric vehicle, do not develop and grow as we anticipate, we may incur significant loss from our new businesses and our growth
prospects may be materially adversely impacted.
In addition, we may encounter regulatory uncertainties related to new business areas that we enter into. The laws and regulations related to AI
technology and products are at an early stage of development and still evolving in China. The effects of such laws and regulations remain unclear and
may add uncertainties to the development and operation of our AI-related business. For example, as PRC regulatory framework on autonomous driving
evolves, we may be required to comply with approval and other compliance requirements for autonomous driving road test, internet security and related
data collection and sharing promulgated by PRC authorities from time to time. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—
Regulations—Regulations on Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Driving Vehicles.” We may confront other challenges as we enter new business
domains, including the lack of adoption of new products and services, the lack of management talent in the new business, cost management and other
factors required for the expansion of new businesses.
We have experienced slowdowns and declines in our revenues, and we may sustain net loss from time to time, and we may experience downward
pressure on our operating and profit margins in the future.
Our total revenues grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1% from 2017 to 2021. Our growth was driven in part by the growth in
China’s internet and online marketing industries, which may not be indicative of future growth or be sustainable. We experienced a slow-down in
revenue growth in 2019 and a decrease in revenue in 2020 due to the decline in our online marketing services. Although our revenue resumed growth in
2021, we could continue to experience a decline in our revenues, as a result of a number of factors, including changes in the mix of products and
services, customer demographics, industry and channel, changes in policy or policy implementation, increase in market competition for marketing
and/or new AI offerings, and decrease in pricing arising from an oversupply of advertising inventory in the market, which has been witnessed since
2019. We may also experience a decline in our revenue or revenue growth rate, if there is a decrease in the rate of adoption for our products, services
and technologies, or deceleration or decline in demand for platforms used to access our services, among other factors.
Our operating margin decreased from 13% in 2020 to 9% in 2021. Net income attributable to us as a percentage of revenue decreased from 21% in
2020 to 8% in 2021. We may experience downward pressure on our operating margin from increasing competition, revenue growth slower than
expenses, and increased costs and expenses from many aspects of our business, including within online marketing where revenue growth does not keep
up with traffic cost growth and related infrastructure costs to support our online properties, such as Baidu App, video-related and other products
requiring huge data transmission and computing power. We may also pay increased fees for our distribution channels, as well as increased content
acquisition costs to content providers. Additionally, an increase in personnel-related costs, an increase in spending to promote new products and
services, the expiration of temporary tax exemptions or reductions, and the impact of the coronavirus
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(COVID-19), which has negatively affected our revenue growth and delayed certain spending, may dampen our operating margin. We may also
experience downward pressure on our operating margin resulting from a variety of factors, such as the expansion of our business into new areas,
including AI cloud, intelligent driving, voice assistant & smart device, all of which have margins much lower than that of online marketing. Our
operating margin may also be negatively impacted from a greater proportion of revenue contributed by new business areas, which has grown faster than
online marketing.
In addition, we may also sustain net loss from time to time. We experienced significant losses from investment write downs in the third quarter of
2019, and experienced foreign currency fluctuation from time to time. We may experience further investment impairment and currency losses in the
future. Declining operating margin and investment impairment have caused us to experience a net loss in 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, and there is
no guarantee that we will be profitable in the future.
Due to these factors and the evolving nature of our business, our historical revenue growth rate, historical operating margin and historical
profitability may not be indicative of our future performance.
If we fail to continue to innovate and provide products, services and high-quality internet experience that attract and retain users, we may not be
able to generate sufficient user traffic to remain competitive; we may expend significant resources in order to remain competitive.
Our success depends on providing products and services to attract users and enable users to have a high-quality internet experience. In order to
attract and retain users and compete against our competitors, we must continue to invest significant resources in research and development to enhance
our AI or other new technologies, improve our existing products and services, and introduce additional high-quality products and services. If we are
unable to anticipate user preferences or industry changes, enhance the quality of our products and services on a timely basis or fail to provide sufficient
content, or provide other consumer-facing services and products, including our maps and smart devices, to our users’ satisfaction, we may suffer a
decline in the size of our user base. Our results of operations may also suffer if our innovations do not respond to the needs of our users, are not
appropriately timed with market opportunities or are not effectively brought to market. As search, marketing and AI technologies and new forms of
devices and apps continue to develop, we may expend significant resources in research and development and strategic investments and acquisitions in
order to remain competitive.
If our content ecosystem fails to continually offer quality content in a cost effective manner, we may experience declines in user traffic and user
engagement, our business and results of operations may be harmed.
Our content ecosystem consists of products developed for our partners, such as Baijiahao, Smart Mini Program, Managed Page, Baidu App Store
and Baidu Union, and internally developed content and services products, such as Baidu Knows, Baidu Wiki, Baidu Healthcare Wiki, Baidu Wenku,
Baidu Scholar, Baidu Experience, Baidu Post, Haokan, and iQIYI. The success of our content ecosystem depends on our ability to attract content
creators and producers to contribute quality content to our platform by leveraging our user traffic and enhance user engagement through the provision of
attractive content, so as to create a virtuous cycle. We have relied, and will continue to rely, on third parties for the majority of the content offered in our
content ecosystem and some of our products include third party intellectual property. As the competition for quality content becomes increasingly
intense in China, we cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our content acquisition costs effectively and generate sufficient revenues to
outpace future increase in content spending. We may also be unable to renew some of our content or intellectual property licensing agreements upon
their expiration or termination and any renewal of the content or intellectual property licensing agreements may involve higher costs or less favorable
terms. If we are not able to license popular premium content on commercially reasonable terms or renew our content or intellectual property licensing
agreements, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. We have undertaken significant
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commitments of future minimum payments under non-cancellable agreements for produced content and licensed copyrights. If the content does not
achieve anticipated popularity and commercial success, such commitments may not be recoverable. In addition, we rely on users to contribute content to
our various products, including Baijiahao, Baidu Knows, Baidu Wiki, Baidu Healthcare Wiki, Baidu Experience, Baidu Post, Baidu Wenku, Haokan and
iQIYI’s user generated content. If these parties fail to develop and maintain high-quality and engaging content, if our desired premium content becomes
exclusive to our competitors, if we are unable to continue to grow our content offerings and stay competitive vis-à-vis other content platforms, or if a
large number of our existing relationships are terminated, the attractiveness of our content offerings to users may be severely impaired. If we are unable
to offer content that meets users’ tastes and preferences on a continuing basis, including continuously upgrading our content recommendation engines
and in a cost effective manner, our user experience may deteriorate, we may suffer from reduced user traffic, our business and results of operations may
be harmed.
We have been and may again be subject to legal proceedings, claims and investigations and could be adversely impacted by unfavorable results of
legal proceedings and investigations.
We are subject to various legal proceedings, claims and government investigations, penalties or actions that have arisen in the ordinary course of
business and have not yet been fully resolved, and new legal proceedings, claims, regulatory investigations, penalties or actions may arise in the future.
In addition, agreements entered into by us sometimes include indemnification provisions which may subject us to costs and damages in the event of a
claim against an indemnified third party. The existence of litigation, claims, governmental investigations and proceedings have adversely affected and
may continue to adversely affect our reputation, business and the trading price of our securities. In 2020, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement asked our
subsidiary iQIYI to produce certain financial and operating records and documents related to certain acquisitions and investments that were identified in
the April 7, 2020 short-seller report on iQiyi released by Wolfpack Research (the “Wolfpack Report”). In sum and substance, the Wolfpack Report
alleges that iQIYI inflated its user numbers, inflated its revenue and deferred revenue in connection with certain parts of iQIYI’s business, inflated its
expenses and the purchase prices of certain assets to conceal revenue inflation, and provided misleading financial statements of cash flows by adopting
an incorrect accounting method. Following the publication of the Wolfpack Report, the SEC requested iQIYI to produce certain financial, operating, and
other documents and records primarily related to the allegations in the Wolfpack Report. iQIYI has voluntarily and publicly disclosed the SEC’s request
for information, and, through its legal counsel, it has provided the SEC with requested documents and information. We are unable to predict the timing,
outcome, or consequences of the SEC investigation of iQIYI, or from the SEC’s review of the documents and records requested from iQIYI. In the same
year, iQIYI and certain of its current and former directors and officers were named as defendants in several federal putative securities litigations. Also in
2020, we and certain of our current and former officers were named as defendants in three federal putative securities class actions, two of which are in
regard to certain of the key allegations contained in the Wolfpack Report. As explained further below, the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss
the third securities class action, which does not relate to the allegations in the Wolfpack Report, in April 2021, and plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the
action in its entirety with prejudice in May 2021. In 2021, we and certain of our former officers were added as defendants to a separate federal putative
securities class action alleging that our subsidiary, iQIYI, made false and misleading statements relating to the allegations in the Wolfpack Report in its
public disclosure documents in violation of federal securities laws. In the event that a court finds that iQIYI, Baidu and/or other defendants violated any
of the applicable securities laws, or in the event that iQIYI, Baidu and/or other defendants choose to reach a settlement with plaintiffs, iQIYI and/or
Baidu may be liable for civil monetary damages and the potential financial, operational and reputational impact on iQIYI and/or Baidu may be material.
However, we cannot predict the timing, outcome or consequences of these class actions, and there is no basis to conclude at this point whether such
actions will be successful or whether we will be subject to any damages, let alone how much. For more details, see “Item 8.A. Financial Information—
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” Regardless of the merit of particular claims, legal proceedings,
government investigations and proceedings may result in reputational harm, be expensive to respond, time consuming, disruptive to our operations and
distracting to management. In the event we or iQIYI
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does not prevail or we or iQIYI enters into settlement arrangements in any of these proceedings or investigations, we or iQIYI may incur significant
expenses which may materially adversely affect our results of operations. Separately, in April 2020, we and certain of our current and former officers
were named as defendants in a federal putative securities class action alleging, in sum and substance, that our disclosures were materially false or
misleading as they misrepresented Baidu’s ability to monitor and filter illicit or improper content on its platform, and failed to disclose alleged
investigations and violations of PRC regulatory requirements relating to the monitoring or filtering of illicit or improper content online. In April 2021,
the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted defendants’ motion to dismiss in its entirety, and in May 2021, plaintiffs
voluntarily dismissed this action in its entirety with prejudice.
The outcome of legal proceedings and investigations is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against us or an
indemnified third party in a reporting period for amounts in excess of management’s expectations, our financial condition and operating results for that
reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, such an outcome could result in significant compensatory, punitive or trebled monetary
damages, disgorgement of revenue or profits, remedial corporate measures or injunctive relief against us that could materially adversely affect our
financial condition and operating results.
In addition to the content developed and posted on our platform by ourselves, our users may post information on Baidu Post, Baidu Knows, Baidu
Wiki, Baidu Wenku and other sections of our platform, our content providers may provide content through Baijiahao platform and our P4P customers
may create text-based descriptions, image descriptions and other phrases to be used as text, images or keywords in our search listings, and users can also
use our personal cloud computing service to upload, store and share documents, images, audio and videos on our cloud servers. We have been and may
continue to be subject to claims and investigations for intellectual property ownership and infringement, defamation, negligence or other legal theories
based on the content found on our platform, the results in our paid search listings or our other products and services, which, with or without merit, may
result in diversion of management attention and financial resources and negative publicity for our brand and reputation. In November 2018, an
individual, together with his related company, filed a complaint alleging acts of, among others, defamation and libel and commercial disparagement
against, among others, us and Robin Yanhong Li in his capacity as our chairman and chief executive officer, in the Supreme Court of New York. The
complaint alleged, among other things, that the defendants published articles containing false and defamatory statements concerning the plaintiffs, and
sought damages in an aggregate amount of US$11 billion, including purported punitive damages of US$10 billion. The plaintiff filed a notice of
voluntary discontinuance of the complaint in the Second State Court Lawsuit, and subsequently filed a nearly identical complaint in the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of New York. In January 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed that complaint in its
entirety with prejudice, and the time for plaintiff to appeal that dismissal has expired. In February 2020, the Supreme Court of New York granted
defendants’ motions to discontinue the Second State Court Lawsuit with prejudice. No appeal of that order has been filed as of the date of this
disclosure. We believe these claims to be without merit and intend to continue to defend ourselves vigorously. See “Item 8.A. Financial Information—
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” Furthermore, if the content posted on our platform or found, stored or
shared through our other products and services contains information that government authorities find objectionable, our platform or relevant products or
services may be shut down and we may be subject to other penalties. See “—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—We may be subject to liability
for information displayed on or linked to our websites, mobile apps, Smart Mini Program or Managed Page and negative publicity in international media
and our business may be adversely affected as a result.”
We have been, and may again in the future be, subject to claims, investigations or negative publicity based on the results in our paid search
listings. Claims have been filed against us after we allowed certain customers to register keywords containing trademarks, trade names or brand names
owned by others and displayed links to such customers’ websites in our paid search listings. While we maintain a database of certain well-known
trademarks and continually update our system algorithms and functions to guard against customers keywords containing the well-known trademarks that
are owned by others, it is not possible for us to completely prevent
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our customers from bidding on keywords that contain trademarks, trade names or brand names owned by others. There has been negative publicity about
fraudulent information in our paid search listings. Although we have been continually enhancing our technology, control and oversight to prevent
fraudulent websites, web pages and information from appearing in our paid search listings, there is no guarantee that the measures we have taken are
effective at all times. Claims, investigations and negative publicity based on the results in our paid search listings, regardless of their merit, may divert
management attention, severely disrupt our operations, adversely affect our results of operations and harm our reputation.
If we fail to keep up with rapid changes in technologies and user behavior, our future success may be adversely affected.
Our future success will depend on our ability to respond to rapidly changing technologies, adapt our products and services to evolving industry
standards and improve the performance and reliability of our products and services. Our failure to adapt to such changes could harm our business. In
addition, changes in user behavior resulting from technological developments may also adversely affect us. For example, the number of people
accessing the internet through mobile devices and internet of things, or IoTs, such as smartphones, tablets and smart (voice-activated internet) home
devices, has increased in recent years, and we expect this trend to continue while 5G and more advanced mobile communications technologies are
broadly implemented. If we fail to develop products and technologies that are compatible with all mobile devices, IoTs and operating systems, or if the
products and services we develop are not widely accepted and used by users of various mobile devices and IoTs, our position in the mobile internet and
AI sectors may be adversely affected. In addition, the widespread adoption of new internet, networking or telecommunications technologies or other
technological changes could require substantial expenditures to modify or integrate our products, services or infrastructure. If we fail to keep up with
rapid technological changes to remain competitive, or consequently fail to retain users with products and services of exceptional quality, our future
success may be materially and adversely affected.
Our increasing focus on cloud-based services presents execution, competitive and compliance risks; Baidu Core’s revenue growth may be materially
adversely affected by our ability to develop cloud-based services and generate sufficient usage of such services.
A growing part of our business involves cloud-based services available across a spectrum of computing devices. Our Baidu Core’s cloud services
revenue was RMB15.1 billion (US$2.4 billion) in 2021, increasing by 64% from 2020. We are devoting significant resources to provide AI solutions,
cloud infrastructure, and other services to enterprises and individuals. At the same time, our competitors are rapidly developing and deploying their
cloud-based solutions and services. Pricing and delivery models are evolving. Devices and form factors influence how users access services in the cloud
and sometimes the user’s choice of which suite of cloud-based services to use. Our success in cloud-based services strategy will depend on the level of
adoption of our products and services. We may not establish market share sufficient to achieve scale necessary to achieve our business objectives or
recoup costs incurred to build and maintain infrastructure to support our cloud-based services. It is uncertain whether our strategies will attract the users
or generate the revenue required to succeed. If we fail to generate sufficient usage of our new products and services, we may not grow revenue in line
with the costs associated with infrastructure development and research and development investments. This may negatively and materially impact our
results of operations and financial performance.
The development of cloud-based services is accompanied by regulatory compliance risks. For example, regulatory authorities in China are
increasing enforcement efforts against non-compliance relating to companies operating content delivery networks, internet data centers, and internet
service providers. However, the interpretation and application of relevant laws in China and elsewhere are often uncertain and in flux, and 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 a
material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
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In the past, our peers have experienced data security and infrastructure stability issues arising out of their cloud services. Our cloud services may
also encounter similar issues, which could have a material and adverse impact on our brand, operations and financial performance.
Potential issues in the adoption and use of artificial intelligence in our product offerings may result in reputational harm or liability.
We are building AI into many of our product offerings and we expect this element of our business to be a driver for our future growth. We
envision a future in which AI operates in our services and applications, such as search-plus-feed, cloud services and solutions, intelligent driving
services and solutions and Xiaodu smart devices and services, and the cloud helps our customers become more productive. As with many disruptive
innovations, AI presents risks and challenges that could affect its adoption, and, therefore, our business. Our products and services based on AI may not
be adopted by our users or customers. AI algorithms may be flawed. Datasets may be insufficient or contain biased information. Inappropriate or
controversial data practices by us or others could impair the acceptance of our AI solutions. These deficiencies could undermine the decisions,
predictions, or analysis that AI applications produce, subjecting us to legal liability, and brand or reputational harm. In addition, some AI scenarios
present ethical issues. If we enable or offer AI solutions that are controversial because of their impact on human rights, privacy, employment, or other
social issues, we may experience reputational harm or be exposed to liability.
We may face challenges in connection with developing, manufacturing and marketing new Xiaodu smart products in response to changing customer
requirements, new technologies and market competition.
The market for our Xiaodu smart products is characterized by rapidly changing technology, evolving industry standards, short product life cycles,
frequent new product introductions, continual improvement in product price and performance characteristics, and price and feature sensitivity on the
part of consumers and businesses. As a result, we must continually introduce new products and technologies and enhance existing products in order to
remain competitive.
The success of our Xiaodu smart products depends on several factors, including our ability to:
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anticipate technology and market trends;
develop innovative new products and enhancements on a timely basis;
distinguish our products from those of our competitors;
manufacture and deliver high-quality products in sufficient volumes at competitive cost structure;
establish strong, efficient online and offline distribution channels;
price our products competitively;
develop a vibrant DuerOS skills store and a large developer community to increase user stickiness and loyalty; and
innovate post-hardware sales monetization models.
If we are unable to develop, manufacture, market and introduce enhanced or new Xiaodu smart products in a timely manner in response to
changing market conditions or customer requirements, including changing fashion trends and styles, it will materially adversely affect our business,
revenue growth, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, as we develop new generations of products more quickly, we expect that the
pace of product obsolescence will increase concurrently. The disposition of inventories of excess or obsolete products may result in reductions to our
operating margins and materially and adversely affect our earnings and results of operations.
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The success of our Xiaodu smart products depends on the continued growth of the smart device market, our ability to establish and maintain the
brand and market share and compete with other companies, and our ability to monetize through services after the initial hardware sale.
We have invested significant resources in the “Xiaodu” brand and the research and development of Xiaodu smart products. If the smart device
market does not continue to grow or grow in unpredictable ways, or we fail to maintain and further promote the “Xiaodu” brand, our revenue may fall
short of expectations and our operating results may be harmed. Also, we have continued to offer sales discounts on Xiaodu smart products to attract
customers, build our brand and gain market share. Offering such discounts has negatively affected, and will continue to negatively affect, our financial
performance in the long term. We cannot assure you that our decision to offer or cease to offer such sales discounts is producing, or will produce,
positive outcomes for our results of operations. The market for smart devices may not continue to grow; even if it does, we may not be successful in
developing and selling devices that appeal to consumers or gain sufficient market acceptance, which typically takes longer in the smart device market.
To succeed in this market, we will need to design, produce and sell innovative and compelling products and partner with other businesses that enable us
to capitalize on new technologies, some of which have developed or may develop and sell smart devices of their own. We are currently exploring
different business models with Xiaodu smart devices, and exploring different monetization model through services after hardware sales, such as
membership, advertising and revenue sharing from distribution of third-party skills. Whether we will be able to achieve profitability in smart devices
depends in part on our ability to generate revenue through services after the initial hardware sale at a level sufficient to cover associated operating
expenses, but there can be no assurance that we will succeed in formulating and implementing the appropriate business and monetization model.
Moreover, competition from other companies that seek to provide smart devices will adversely affect our profitability.
We face a number of manufacturing, supply chain, distribution channel and inventory risks as well as product quality and financing risks that, if
not properly managed, could harm our financial condition, operating results, and prospects.
We rely on third parties to manufacture our Xiaodu smart products, to design certain of our components and parts, and to participate in the
distribution of our products. Our business could be negatively affected if we are not able to engage these companies with the necessary capabilities or
capacity on reasonable terms, or if those we engage fail to meet their obligations (whether due to financial difficulties or other reasons), or make adverse
changes in the pricing or other material terms of our arrangements with them.
We may experience supply shortages and price increases driven by a variety of factors, such as raw material availability, manufacturing capacity,
labor shortages, tariffs, trade disputes and barriers, natural disasters, and significant changes in the financial or business condition of our suppliers. We
may experience shortages or other supply chain disruptions that could negatively affect our operations. In addition, some of the components we use in
our Xiaodu smart products are available only from a single source or limited sources, and we may not be able to find replacement vendors on favorable
terms in the event of a supply chain disruption.
Our Xiaodu smart products may have quality issues resulting from design, manufacturing, or operations. Sometimes, these issues may be caused
by components we purchase from other manufacturers or suppliers. If the quality of our Xiaodu smart products does not meet expectations or are
defective, it could harm our reputation, financial condition, and operating results.
We are exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect our operating results as a result of seasonality, new product launches, rapid
changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, and other factors. We
endeavor to accurately predict these trends and avoid overstocking or understocking issues. Demand for our Xiaodu smart products, however, can
change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. We may misjudge customer demand, resulting in
inventory buildup and possible significant inventory write-down. It may
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also make it more difficult for us to inspect and control quality and ensure proper handling, storage and delivery. We may experience higher return rates
on new products, receive more customer complaints about them and face costly product liability claims as a result of selling them, which would harm
our brand and reputation as well as our financial performance.
Our Smart Living Group (SLG), which runs the DuerOS and Xiaodu operations, completed its first and second round of funding in 2020 and
2021, respectively, and has historically experienced an operating loss. If SLG is unable to satisfy its cashflow needs by generating sufficient cash from
its operations in the near future, it may need to rely on subsequent round(s) of financing. If SLG’s operating cashflow does not improve and if SLG fails
to conduct financing on reasonable terms, it may not be able to continue its business operations, which may adversely impact our results of operations
and financial performance.
Du Xiaoman’s financial services business may subject us to operational and reputational risks, which may have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations and financial condition.
In August 2018, we completed the divestiture of a majority equity stake in our financial services business unit, which has been rebranded as Du
Xiaoman Financial, or Du Xiaoman. After the divestiture, we hold a non-controlling equity interest in Du Xiaoman and have since then deconsolidated
the financial results of Du Xiaoman from our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The financial services provided by the
now-divested Du Xiaoman mainly include consumer credit, wealth management, financial technology services and payment support, through which Du
Xiaoman mainly offers technology solutions to financial institution partners covering loan facilitation and risk management aspects and consumer
financing to individual customers to meet their cash expenditure needs or business operation requirements. We are still the largest shareholder of Du
Xiaoman and would be exposed to losses from Du Xiaoman.
PRC laws and regulations concerning the internet finance industry, particularly those governing wealth management and credit lending, are
evolving. Although to our knowledge Du Xiaoman has taken careful measures to comply with the laws and regulations that are applicable to its financial
services, the PRC government authorities may promulgate new policies, rules and regulations regulating the internet finance industry. For example, the
Supreme Court of the PRC has issued a judicial interpretation in August 2020 and revised it in December 2020, which has capped the interest rate of
loan contract at four times the one-year Loan Prime Rate then effective when such loan contract is executed. In addition, the People’s Bank of China, or
the PBOC, issued the Announcement of the People’s Bank of China [2021] No. 3, or No. 3 Announcement, on March 12, 2021. In accordance with the
No. 3 Announcement, when credit business institutions market loan products through websites, mobile applications, posters or similar channels, they
must explicitly indicate the applicable annualized loan interest rate to the borrower in a conspicuous manner, and specify such annualized interest rate in
the loan contract. It is allowed to indicate the daily interest rate or the monthly interest rate at the same time only if they are not displayed in a manner
more conspicuous than the annualized interest rate. Under the No. 3 Announcement, “credit business institutions” include, among others, deposit
financial institutions, consumer financing companies, micro-loan companies and online platforms providing advertisement and displaying services to
credit business operators.
On December 31, 2021, the PBOC and other six PRC governmental authorities issued a draft of Administration Measures for Online Marketing of
Financial Products, or the Draft Administration Measures, for public comments. Pursuant to the Draft Administration Measures, third-party platform
operators who are entrusted by financial institutions to promote financial products on the Internet are governed by this Draft Administration Measures.
The Draft Administration Measures prohibited institutions and individuals from providing online marketing services for any illegal financial activities,
such as illegal fundraising, unauthorized issuance of securities or lending, and virtual currency transactions. In addition, third-party platform operators
shall market the financial products in conformity with the online marketing contents which have been approved by the financial institutions, and shall
not change the contents arbitrarily. Without the approval from the finance regulators, no third-party platform operator shall be involved, whether directly
or in any disguised form, in any
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sale activities of financial products, such as consulting with customers about financial products, conducting the appropriateness assessment on financial
customers, entering into any sale contract, or transferring any funds.
As we hold a non-controlling equity interest in Du Xiaoman and do not control Du Xiaoman’s business conduct and operations, we cannot assure
you that the practices of Du Xiaoman would not be deemed to violate any PRC laws or regulations, nor can we ensure that all business cooperators on
Du Xiaoman’s platform meet all the regulatory compliance requirements. If Du Xiaoman were deemed to violate any current or future applicable PRC
laws or regulations, such as the exposure draft of the Interim Measures for the Administration of Internet Small Loan Business released in November
2020, we may be exposed to negative publicity as a result of the potential misconception that Du Xiaoman is still part of our consolidated group. For
example, on December 15, 2020, officials from PBOC publicly named deposit products provided by internet financial platforms as illegal and should be
subject to regulatory supervision. Many internet financial platforms, including Du Xiaoman, has removed deposit products from their platforms. Events
like this may expose us to negative publicity as well.
Interruption or failure of our own information technology and communications systems or those of third-party service providers we rely upon could
impair our ability to provide products and services, which could damage our reputation and harm our results of operations.
Our ability to provide products and services depends on the continuing operation of our information technology and communications systems.
Any damage to or failure of our systems could interrupt our services. Service interruptions could reduce our revenue and profit and damage our brand if
our systems are perceived to be unreliable. Our systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption as a result of terrorist attacks, wars, earthquakes,
floods, fires, power loss, telecommunications failures, health epidemics, undetected errors or “bugs” in our software, computer viruses, interruptions in
access to our platform through the use of “denial of service” or similar attacks, hacking or other attempts to harm our systems, and similar events. Some
of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning does not account for all possible scenarios. We have experienced service
disruptions in the past which adversely affected our user experience.
Our servers, which are hosted at third-party or our own internet data centers, are vulnerable to break-ins, sabotage and vandalism. The occurrence
of natural disasters or closure of an internet data center by a third-party provider without adequate notice could result in lengthy service interruptions. In
addition, our domain names are resolved into internet protocol (IP) addresses by systems of third-party domain name registrars and registries. Any
interruptions or failures of those service providers’ systems, which are beyond our control, could significantly disrupt our own services. If we experience
frequent or persistent system failures on our platform, whether due to interruptions and failures of our own information technology and communications
systems or those of third-party service providers that we rely upon, our reputation and brand could be severely harmed. The steps we take to increase the
reliability and redundancy of our systems may cause us to incur heavy costs and reduce our operating margin, and may not be successful in reducing the
frequency or duration of service interruptions.
We may not be able to manage our expanding operations effectively.
We expect to continue to expand our operations as we grow our user and customer base and explore new opportunities. To manage the further
expansion of our business and growth of our operations and personnel, we need to continually improve our operational and financial systems,
procedures and controls, and expand, train, manage and maintain good relations with our growing employee base. We have experienced labor disputes in
the past and may experience the same in the future. Although these disputes were resolved promptly, we cannot assure you that there will not be any
new labor disputes in the future.
We expect our AI-enabled business to become a key revenue driver of Baidu Core, and believe our future growth relies on the success of our
AI-enabled business. Our systems and processes were designed in the past to support our mobile ecosystem business operations. For our AI-enabled
business operations to be successful, we
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must be able to attract industry expertise and talents, and adapt to systems and processes suitable for the enterprise and public sector business
environment. If we are unable to do so, we may not be competitive in these markets and our AI-enabled business offerings will not be successful. In
addition, we must maintain and expand our relationships with other websites, internet companies and other third parties. Our current and future
personnel, systems, procedures and controls may not be adequate to support our expanding operations, and consequently our financial condition and
operating results may be materially and adversely affected.
We may face intellectual property infringement claims and other related claims, which could be time-consuming and costly to defend and may result
in an adverse impact over our operations.
Internet, technology and media companies are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement of intellectual property rights,
unfair competition, invasion of privacy, defamation and other violations of other parties’ rights. The validity, enforceability and scope of protection of
intellectual property in internet-related and AI-related industries, particularly in China, are uncertain and still evolving. The evolving laws and
regulations on the protection of intellectual property may require us to take more actions to prevent from infringing third-parties’ intellectual property. If
we cannot take the necessary actions in time, disputes may arise alleging us to infringe certain third-parties’ intellectual property. As we face increasing
competition and as litigation becomes more common in China in resolving commercial disputes, we face a higher risk of being the subject of intellectual
property infringement claims. We may be subject to administrative actions brought by relevant PRC competent governmental authorities such as the
PRC National Copyright Administration and in the most severe scenario, criminal prosecution for alleged copyright infringement, and as a result may be
subject to fines and other penalties and be required to discontinue infringing activities. Furthermore, as we expand our operations outside of China, we
may be subject to claims brought against us in jurisdictions outside of China.
Our search products and services link to materials in which third parties may claim ownership of trademarks, copyrights or other rights. As we
adopt new technologies and roll out new products and services, we face the risk of being subject to intellectual property infringement claims that may
arise from our use of new technologies and provision of new products and services. Our products and services including those based on content storage
and sharing, such as Baidu Knows, Baidu Wiki, Baidu Wenku, Baidu Post, Baidu Drive, Baijiahao, Haokan, and iQIYI’s user-generated content, allow
our users to upload, store and share documents, images, audio and videos on our servers, or share, link to or otherwise provide access to contents from
other websites, and we also operate distribution platforms whereby developers can upload, share and sell their apps or games to users. Although we have
made commercially reasonable efforts to request users or developers to comply with applicable intellectual property laws, we cannot ensure that all of
our users or developers have the rights to upload or share these contents or apps. In addition, we have been and may continue to be subject to copyright
or trademark infringement and other related claims from time to time, in China and internationally.
We have been making continuous efforts to keep ourselves informed of and to comply with all applicable laws and regulations affecting our
business. However, PRC laws and regulations are evolving, and uncertainties still exist with respect to the legal standards as well as the judicial
interpretation of the standards for determining liabilities of internet search and other internet service providers for providing links to content on third-
party websites that infringe upon others’ copyrights or hosting such content, or providing information storage space, file sharing technology or other
internet services that are used by internet users to disseminate such content. The Supreme People’s Court of China promulgated a judicial interpretation
on infringement of the right of dissemination through internet in December 2012, which was further amended on December 29, 2020 and came into
effect on January 1, 2021. This judicial interpretation, like certain court rulings and certain other judicial interpretations, provide that the courts will
place the burden on internet service providers to remove not only links or contents that have been specifically mentioned in the notices of infringement
from right holders, but also links or contents they “should have known” to contain infringing content. The interpretation further provides that where an
internet service provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any content made available by an internet user, it has a higher duty of care with
respect to internet users’ infringement of third-party copyrights. A guidance on the trial of audio/video sharing copyright disputes promulgated by the
Higher People’s Court of
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Beijing in December 2012 provides that where an internet service provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any audio/video content made
available by an internet user who has no authorization for sharing such content, the internet service provider shall be presumed to be at fault. These
interpretations could subject us and other internet service providers to significant administrative burdens and litigation risks. The Civil Code of the PRC,
or the Civil Code, promulgated in 2020 has further elaborated the circumstances where internet service providers may be found liable for the
infringement of third parties. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Tort Liability.” The
Copyright Law which became effective in June 2021 further provided that the competent copyright authority may require compliance from the relevant
parties in the process of investigating the infringing activities.
We conduct our business operations primarily in China. There might be claims that we are subject to U.S. copyright laws, including the legal
standards for determining indirect liability for copyright infringement, although we believe such claims are without merit. We cannot assure you that we
will not be subject to copyright infringement lawsuits or other proceedings in the U.S. or elsewhere in the future.
Intellectual property litigation is expensive, time-consuming and could divert resources and management attention from the operations of our
business. We are currently named as defendant in certain copyright infringement suits in connection with Baidu Feed, P4P, Baidu Post, Baidu Search,
iQIYI, Baidu Wenku, Baidu Drive, Baidu Image, Baijiahao, Haokan and certain other products or services. See “Item 8.A. Financial Information—
Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” There is no guarantee that the courts will accept our defenses and rule
in our favor. If there is a successful claim of infringement, we may be required to discontinue the infringing activities, pay substantial fines and damages
and/or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to obtain a license of the
rights on a timely basis could harm our business. Any intellectual property litigation by third parties and/or negative publicity alleging our intellectual
property infringement could have an adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition or results of operations. To address the risks relating
to intellectual property infringement, we may have to substantially modify, limit or terminate some of our search services. Any such change could
materially affect user experience and in turn have an adverse impact on our business.
Liability claims against, or any unauthorized control or manipulation of our autonomous driving systems, could result in the loss of confidence in
us, our brands and our products, and harm our business.
Our Intelligent Driving platform, contains complex information technology systems. We have designed, implemented and tested security measures
intended to prevent unauthorized access to our Intelligent Driving platform, but there can be no assurance that vulnerabilities will not be identified in the
future, or that our remediation efforts are or will be successful. Hackers have reportedly attempted, and may attempt in the future, to gain unauthorized
access to modify, alter and use our Intelligent Driving platform to gain control of, or to change, functionality, user interface and performance
characteristics of vehicles utilizing our Intelligent Driving platform, or to gain access to data stored in or generated by the vehicles. Any unauthorized
access to or control of autonomous driving vehicles or their systems or any loss of data could result in death and personal injury, and legal claims or
proceedings against us.
Our Intelligent Driving platform may be involved in crashes resulting in property damage, death or personal injury in the future, and such crashes
may be the subject of significant public attention. We may face claims related to any misuse or failure of new technologies that we are pioneering,
including our Intelligent Driving platform and related solutions, such as smart transportation. A successful product liability claim against us could
require us to pay substantial monetary damages.
Moreover, product liability claims or reports of unauthorized access to our Intelligent Driving platform or data, regardless of their veracity, could
generate substantial negative publicity about our products and business and could have material adverse impact on our brand, business, prospects and
operating results.
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Our strategy of investments and acquiring complementary businesses and assets may fail.
As part of our business strategy, we have pursued, and intend to continue to pursue, selective strategic investments and acquisitions of businesses
and assets that complement our existing business and help us execute our growth strategies. For example, we invested in Trip.com Group Limited
(Trip.com) (formerly known as Ctrip). In November 2020, we entered into definitive agreements with JOYY Inc. and certain of its affiliates to acquire
its domestic video-based entertainment live streaming business in China, or YY Live, which includes YY mobile app, YY.com website and PC YY,
among others. For more details, see “—We face risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live and its online live streaming business.”
We intend to make other strategic investments and acquisitions in the future if suitable opportunities arise. Investments and acquisitions involve
uncertainties and risks, including, but not limited to:
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potential ongoing financial obligations and unforeseen or hidden liabilities, including liability for infringement of third-party copyrights or
other intellectual property;
failure to achieve the intended objectives, benefits or revenue-enhancing opportunities,
non-occurrence of anticipated or speculative transactions and any resulting negative impact;
costs and difficulties of integrating acquired businesses and managing a larger business;
in the case of investments where we do not obtain management and operational control, lack of influence over the controlling partner or
shareholder, which may prevent us from achieving our strategic goals in the investments;
possible unsatisfactory operational or financial performance, including financial loss, or fraudulent activities of a target business;
possible loss of key employees of a target business;
potential claims or litigation regarding our board’s exercise of its duty of care and other duties required under applicable law in connection
with any of our significant acquisitions or investments approved by the board;
diversion of resources and management attention;
regulatory hurdles and compliance risks, including the anti-monopoly and competition laws, rules and regulations of China and other
jurisdictions and the enhanced compliance requirement for outbound acquisitions and investment under the laws and regulations of China;
in the case of acquisitions of businesses or assets outside of China, the need to integrate operations across different business cultures and
languages and to address the particular economic, currency, political, and regulatory risks associated with specific countries; and
potential fair value changes, which impact our profits.
Any failure to address these risks successfully may have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Investments and acquisitions may require a significant amount of capital, which would decrease the amount of cash available for working capital or
capital expenditures. In addition, if we use our equity securities to pay for investments and acquisitions, we may dilute the value of our listed securities
and the ordinary shares underlying our ADSs. If we borrow funds to finance investments and acquisitions, such debt instruments may contain restrictive
covenants that could, among other things, restrict us from distributing dividends. Moreover, acquisitions may also generate significant amortization
expenses related to intangible assets. We are required to test our intangible assets and goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently if events or
changes in circumstances indicate that they may be impaired. We may also incur investment loss or impairment charges to acquired businesses and
assets.
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Our business is subject to complex and evolving Chinese and international laws and regulations, including those regarding data privacy and
cybersecurity. Many of these laws and regulations are subject to change and uncertain interpretation, and could result in claims, penalties, changes
to our business practices, increased cost of operations, damages to our reputation and brand, or declines in user growth or engagement, or otherwise
harm our business.
We are required by privacy and data protection laws in China and other jurisdictions, including, without limitation, the PRC Cyber Security Law
and the PRC Data Security Law, to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information of our users, customers, third-party agents,
content providers and Baidu Union partners, and other data, which is also essential to maintaining their confidence in our online products and services.
However, the interpretation and application of such laws in China and elsewhere are often uncertain and in flux.
A series of laws and regulations have been passed to enhance the regulation of data security and cyber security, including the Decision on
Strengthening Network Information Protection promulgated in December 2012, or the Network Information Protection Decision, which requires internet
operators to take measures to ensure confidentiality of information of users, and the Ninth Amendment to the Criminal Law effective in November
2015, which amended the standards of crime of infringing citizens’ personal information and reinforced the criminal culpability of unlawful collection,
transaction, and provision of personal information. In November 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National People’s Congress, or the Standing
Committee, promulgated the PRC Cyber Security Law, which requires, among others, that network operators take security measures to protect the
network from unauthorized interference, damage and unauthorized access and prevent data from being divulged, stolen or tampered with. Network
operators are also required to collect and use personal information in compliance with the principles of legitimacy, properness and necessity, and strictly
within the scope of authorization by the subject of personal information unless otherwise prescribed by laws or regulations. Significant capital,
managerial and human resources are required to comply with legal requirements, enhance information security and to address any issues caused by
security failures. The Civil Code promulgated in 2020 also provides specific provisions regarding the protection of personal information.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The Data Security
Law, among others, provides for a security review procedure for the data activities that may affect national security. Furthermore, Measures for
Cybersecurity Review, or the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2020, which became effective on June 1, 2020, set forth the cybersecurity review
mechanism for critical information infrastructure operators, and provided that critical information infrastructure operators who intend to purchase
internet products and services that affect or may affect national security shall be subject to a cybersecurity review. On December 28, 2021, the CAC
published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021, which became effective on February 15, 2022 and
replaced the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2020. Such Measures further restate and expand the applicable scope of the cybersecurity review. Pursuant
to the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021, critical information infrastructure operators that procure internet products and services, and network
platform operators engaging in data processing activities, must be subject to the cybersecurity review if their activities affect or may affect national
security. Specifically, before purchasing any internet products and services, a critical information infrastructure operator is required to assess potential
national security risks that may arise from the launch or use of such products or services, and apply for a cybersecurity review with the Cybersecurity
Review Office if national security will or may be affected. Since the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 are relatively new and provide no further
explanation or interpretation on the determination of “affecting national security”, there remain uncertainties as to whether our data processing activities
may be deemed to affect national security. However, as of the date of this annual report, we have not received any formal notice from any cybersecurity
regulator that we should apply for a cybersecurity review. In addition, network platform operators holding over one million users’ personal information
must apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before any public offering in a foreign country. On July 30, 2021, the State
Council promulgated the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which became effective on September 1, 2021.
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Pursuant to the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, critical information infrastructure shall mean any important network
facilities or information systems of the important industry or field such as public communication and information service, energy, transportation, water
conservation, finance, public services, e-government affairs and national defense science, which may endanger national security, people’s livelihood and
public interest in case of damage, function loss or data leakage. In addition, relevant administration departments of each critical industry and sector, or
Protection Departments, shall be responsible to formulate eligibility criteria and determine the critical information infrastructure operator in the
respective industry or sector. The operators shall be informed about the final determination as to whether they are categorized as critical information
infrastructure operators. As of the date of this annual report, no detailed rules or implementation has been issued by any authority and we have not been
informed as a critical information infrastructure operator by any government authorities. Furthermore, the exact scope of “critical information
infrastructure operators” under the current regulatory regime remains unclear, and the PRC government authorities may have wide discretion in the
interpretation and enforcement of these laws. Therefore, it is uncertain whether we would be deemed as a critical information infrastructure operator
under PRC law. If we are deemed as a critical information infrastructure operator under the PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations, we must fulfill
certain obligations as required under the PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations, including, among others, storing personal information and important
data collected and produced within the PRC territory during our operations in China, which we have fulfilled in our business, and we may be subject to
review when purchasing internet products and services.
On November 14, 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on the Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Regulations, and will
accept public comments until December 13, 2021. The Draft Regulations provide that data processors refer to individuals or organizations that
autonomously determine the purpose and the manner of processing data. In accordance with the Draft Regulations, data processors must apply for a
cybersecurity review for the following activities: (i) merger, reorganization or division of Internet platform operators that have acquired a large number
of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests to the extent that affects or may affect national security;
(ii) listing abroad of data processors which process over one million users’ personal information; (iii) the listing of data processors in Hong Kong which
affects or may affect national security; or (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. However, there have been no
clarifications from the authorities as of the date of this annual report as to the standards for determining such activities that “affects or may affect
national security”. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations.” As of the date of this annual report, the Draft
Regulations were released for public comment only, and their respective provisions and the anticipated adoption or effective date may be subject to
change with substantial uncertainty. The Draft Regulations remain unclear on whether the relevant requirements will be applicable to companies that
have been listed in the United States and Hong Kong, such as us. Similar to the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021, they are relatively new and may
be subject to interpretation of the regulators. We cannot predict the impact of the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 and the Draft Regulations, if
any, at this stage, and we will closely monitor and assess any development in the rule-making process. If the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 or
the enacted versions of the Draft Regulations mandate clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by China-based
companies listed on a U.S. stock exchange and Hong Kong Exchanges, such as us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely
obtained, or at all. As of the date of this annual report, we have not been involved in any formal investigations on cybersecurity review made by the
CAC on such basis. However, if we are not able to comply with the cybersecurity and network data security requirements in a timely manner, or at all,
we may be subject to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, suspension of our non-compliant operations, or removal of
our app from the relevant application stores, among other sanctions, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.
In addition to the cybersecurity review, the Draft Regulations requires that data processors processing “important data” or listed overseas shall conduct
an annual data security assessment by itself or commission a data security service provider to do so, and submit the assessment report of the preceding
year to the municipal cybersecurity department by the end of January each year. If a final version of the Draft Regulations is adopted, we may be subject
to review when conducting data processing activities and annual data security assessment and may face
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challenges in addressing its requirements and make necessary changes to our internal policies and practices in data processing. Based on the foregoing,
our PRC legal counsel does not expect that, as of the date of this annual report, the current applicable PRC laws on cybersecurity would have a material
adverse impact on our business.
On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law, which integrates the scattered rules with
respect to personal information rights and privacy protection and took effect on November 1, 2021. Our mobile apps and websites only collect user
personal information that is necessary to provide the corresponding services. We update our privacy policies from time to time to meet the latest
regulatory requirements of the CAC and other authorities and adopt technical measures to protect data and ensure cybersecurity in a systematic way.
Nonetheless, the Personal Information Protection Law raises the protection requirements for processing personal information, and many specific
requirements of the Personal Information Protection Law remain to be clarified by the CAC, other regulatory authorities, and courts in practice. We may
be required to make further adjustments to our business practices to comply with the personal information protection laws and regulations. See “Item
4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations.”
The PRC Cyber Security Law, the Data Security Law and Personal Information Protection Law are relatively new and subject to interpretation by
the regulators. Although we only gain access to user information that is necessary for, and relevant to, the services provided, the data we obtain and use
may include information that is deemed as “personal information”, “network data” or “important data” under the relevant data privacy and protection
laws and regulations. As such, we have adopted a series of measures to ensure that we comply with relevant laws and regulations in the collection, use,
disclosure, sharing, storage, and security of user information and other data. The Data Security Law also stipulates that the relevant authorities will
formulate the catalogues for important data and strengthen the protection of important data, and state core data, i.e. data having a bearing on national
security, the lifelines of national economy, people’s key livelihood and major public interests, shall be subject to stricter management system. “Item 4.B.
Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations.” The exact scopes of important data and state core data remain unclear and may be
subject to further interpretation. If any data that we are in possession of constitutes important data or state core data, we may be required to adopt stricter
measures for protection and management of such data.
While we take all these measures to comply with all applicable data privacy and protection laws and regulations and although we believe that we
have complied with such laws and regulations issued by the CAC in all material aspects, we cannot guarantee the effectiveness of the measures
undertaken by us and business partners, and such measures may still be determined as insufficient, improper, or even as user-privacy invasive, by the
relevant authorities, which may result in penalties against us. The activities of third parties such as our customers and business partners are beyond our
control. If our business partners violate the laws and regulations relating to data privacy and personal information protection, or fail to fully comply with
the service agreements with us, or if any of our employees fail to comply with our internal control measures and misuse the information, we may be
subject to penalties and other legal liabilities. As part of the efforts by the CAC and other regulators to enhance data protection, a wide number of apps
and companies have been reprimanded since the first half of 2021, including certain Baidu apps. We have updated the apps and will be committed to
keeping our apps fully compliant with the requirements of the CAC. Nevertheless, due to the rapidly evolving regulatory requirements, we still cannot
guarantee you that we will not be subject to more similar rectification requests from the governmental authorities or that we will fully comply with all
applicable rules and regulations at all times. In addition, as the PRC regulators and enforcement regime with regard to cybersecurity, data security, data
privacy and personal information protection has been evolving and PRC regulators have been increasingly focusing on regulation in these areas, some of
our business operations, in particular our cloud services, may be subject to enhanced oversight and scrutiny. As a result, we may be involved with
enquiries, claims, complaints or other administrative actions from time to time, which are subject to the uncertainties associated with the evolving
legislative activities and varied local enforcement practices. Any failure or perceived failure to comply with all applicable data privacy and protection
laws and regulations or to take prompt rectification actions as required by the enforcement authorities, or any failure or perceived failure of our business
partners to do so, or any failure or
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perceived failure of our employees to comply with our internal control measures, may result in negative publicity and legal proceedings or regulatory
actions against us, and could damage our reputation, discourage current and potential users and customers from using our products or services and
subject us to fines, damages and rectification, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Compliance with the above PRC laws and regulations, including the PRC National Security Law, the PRC Cyber Security Law, the Measures for
Cybersecurity Review, the Data Security Law and, as well as additional laws and regulations that PRC regulatory bodies may enact in the future,
including data security and personal information protection laws and policies, rules and regulations on specific industries such as education and game,
may result in decrease in revenue, and additional expenses to us and subject us to negative publicity, which could harm our reputation and business
operations. There are also uncertainties with respect to how such laws and regulations will be implemented and interpreted in practice. For example,
PRC regulators, including the Department of Public Security, the MIIT, the State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR, and the CAC,
have been increasingly focused on regulation in the areas of data security and data protection, and are enhancing the protection of privacy and data
security by rule-making and enforcement actions at central and local levels.
Besides the evolving regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data privacy in China, which may be subject to varying interpretations or
significant changes and may result in uncertainties about the scope of our responsibilities in that regard, there are also a number of legislative proposals
in the European Union and the United States, at both the federal and state level, as well as other jurisdictions that could impose new obligations in areas
affecting our business. New laws or regulations concerning data protection, or the interpretation and application of existing consumer and data
protection laws or regulations, which are often uncertain and in flux, may be inconsistent with our practices. The introduction of new products or other
actions that we may take may subject us to additional laws, regulations, or other government scrutiny. Complying with new laws and regulations could
cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business. For example, if the new
laws and regulations promulgated in the future impose restrictions on selling demographically targeted advertising, it could increase our cost and the
complexity to provide such services such that we may become less attractive to online advertising customers. In addition, some countries are
considering or have passed legislation implementing data protection requirements or requiring local storage and processing of data or similar
requirements that could increase the cost and complexity of delivering our services.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to prevent information security breaches or to comply with data security and privacy policies or related legal
obligations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized use, release or transfer of personally identifiable information or other data,
could cause our users to lose trust in us and could expose us to legal claims or penalties. Any perception by the public that privacy of user information or
data security are becoming increasingly unsafe or vulnerable to attacks could inhibit the growth of our products and services generally. We expect that
these areas will be subject to greater public scrutiny and attention from regulators and more frequent and rigid investigation or review by regulators,
which will increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges. We may have to spend much more personnel cost and time
evaluating and managing these risks and challenges in connection with our products and services in the ordinary course of our business operations, and
cooperated and will keep cooperating in the future with the competent regulators in these respects. If we are unable to manage these risks, we could
become subject to penalties, including fines, suspension of business and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of operations
could be materially and adversely affected.
Our business may be adversely affected if we were found to have failed to fulfill the additional obligations under the online advertising rules.
Although the PRC Advertising Law has not specified “paid search results” as a form of advertising, the Interim Administration Measures of
Internet Advertising, or the Internet Advertising Measures, which was
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promulgated by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (currently known as the SAMR) and became effective on September 1, 2016,
characterizes “paid search results” as a form of internet advertising from the perspective of regulating the online advertising business. Pursuant to the
Internet Advertising Measures, we are subject to additional legal obligations to monitor our P4P customers’ listings on our website during the course of
our provision of P4P services. For example, we must examine, verify and record identity information of our P4P customers, such as the customer’s
name, address and contact information, and maintain an updated verification of such information on a regular basis. Moreover, we must examine
supporting documentation provided by our P4P customers. Where a special government review is required for specific categories of advertisements
before posting, we must confirm that the review has been performed and approval has been obtained. If the content of the advertisement is inconsistent
with the supporting documentation, or the supporting documentation is incomplete, the advertisement cannot be published. On November 26, 2021, the
SAMR promulgated the draft of the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertisements for public comment. Although the draft measures does
not refer to paid search results, it stipulates that the promotion of commodities or services in the form of paid listing on the Internet must be
conspicuously identified as an advertisement. The draft measures further require advertisers, operators and publishers of internet advertisements
containing links to examine the contents in the next level link. The Chinese government may, from time to time, promulgate new advertising laws and
regulations in the future to impose further requirements on online advertising services relating to medical, pharmaceutical, health care, after-school
tutoring and other similar businesses. For example, the Circular on the Administration of After-School Tutoring Advertisement jointly issued by the
SAMR and seven other authorities on November 3, 2021 prohibits new media, internet platforms and other mainstream media from publishing or
broadcasting any advertisement of after-school tutoring services targeted at pre-school children and primary and middle school students. Similarly, the
draft of the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertisements also proposes to ban internet advertisement of such after-school tutoring
services. We cannot assure you that we will be in compliance with the requirements under these new laws and regulations. Failure to comply with these
obligations may subject us to fines and other administrative penalties. If advertisements shown on our platform are in violation of relevant PRC
advertising laws and regulations, or if the supporting documentation and government approvals provided to us by our P4P customers in connection with
the advertising content are not complete or accurate, we may be subject to legal liabilities and our reputation could be harmed. Furthermore, we may
modify the operation of our online marketing business and curb advertisements of certain restricted sectors in order to meet the evolving compliance
requirements on the industry, which may adversely affect our online marketing revenue. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business
Overview— Regulations—Regulations on Advertisements and Online Advertising.”
We may be subject to patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform.
Our technologies and business methods, including those relating to our P4P platform, may be subject to third-party claims or rights that limit or
prevent their use. We applied for certain patents in China for our P4P platform, but some of our applications were rejected on the ground that they are
not patentable. Certain U.S.-based companies, including Overture Services Inc., have been granted patents in the United States relating to P4P platforms
and similar business methods and related technologies. While we believe that we are not subject to U.S. patent laws since we conduct our business
operations primarily in China, we cannot assure you that U.S. patent laws would not be applicable to our business operations, or that holders of patents
relating to a P4P platform would not seek to enforce such patents against us in the United States or China.
Many parties are actively developing and seeking protection for internet-related technologies, including patent protection. They may hold patents
issued or pending that relate to certain aspects of our technologies, products, business methods or services. Any patent infringement claims, regardless
of their merits, could be time-consuming and costly to us. If we were sued for patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform and were
found to infringe upon the patents and were not able to adopt non-infringing technologies, we may be severely limited in our ability to operate our P4P
platform, which would have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and prospects.
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Our business may be adversely affected by third-party software apps or practices that interfere with our receipt of information from, or provision of
information to, our users, which may impair our users’ experience.
Our business may be adversely affected by third-party malicious or unintentional software apps that make changes to our users’ computers and
interfere with our products and services. These software apps may change our users’ internet experience by hijacking queries to our platform, altering or
replacing our search results, or otherwise interfering with our ability to connect with our users. The interference often occurs without disclosure to or
consent from users, resulting in a negative experience, which users may associate with our platform. These software apps may be difficult to remove or
disable, may reinstall themselves and may circumvent other apps’ efforts to block or remove them.
In addition, our business may be adversely affected by the practices of third-party website owners, content providers and developers which
interfere with our ability to crawl and index their web pages and contents including apps. The ability to provide a superior user experience is critical to
our success. If we are unable to successfully combat malicious third-party software apps that interfere with our products and services, our reputation
may be harmed. If a significant number of website owners, content providers and developers prevent us from indexing and including their high-quality
web pages and content including apps in our search results, or if we cannot effectively combat web spam from low-quality and irrelevant content
websites, the quality of our search results may be impaired, which may damage our reputation and deter our current and potential users from using our
products and services.
We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We rely on a combination of copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as nondisclosure agreements and other methods to protect our
intellectual property rights. The protection of intellectual property rights in China may not be as effective as those in the United States or other countries.
The steps we have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of our technology. Reverse engineering, unauthorized copying or other
misappropriation of our technologies could enable third parties to benefit from our technologies without paying us. Moreover, unauthorized use of our
technology could enable our competitors to offer products and services that compete with ours, which could harm our business and competitive position.
We have in the past resorted to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, and may have to do so from time to time in the future. There is no
guarantee that the competent courts will accept our claims and rule in our favor. Such litigation may result in substantial costs and diversion of resources
and management attention.
Our success depends on the continuing and collaborative efforts of our management team and other key personnel, and our business may be
disrupted if we lose their services and are not able to find their successors in a timely manner.
Our success depends heavily upon the continuing services of our management team, in particular our chairman and chief executive officer, Robin
Yanhong Li. If one or more of our executives or other key personnel are unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions and we are not able to
find their successors in a timely manner, our business may be disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Competition for management and key personnel is intense, the pool of qualified candidates is limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of
our executives or key personnel, or attract and retain experienced executives or key personnel in the future.
If any of our executives or other key personnel joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may not be able to successfully retain
customers, key agents, know-how and key personnel. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement with
us, containing confidentiality and non-competition provisions. If any disputes arise between any of our executives or key personnel and us, we cannot
assure you the extent to which any of these agreements may be enforced.
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We rely on highly skilled personnel. If we are unable to retain or motivate them or hire additional qualified personnel, we may not be able to grow
effectively.
Our performance and future success depend on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals. We will need to continue to identify, hire,
develop, motivate and retain highly skilled personnel for all areas of our organization and business operations. Competition for qualified employees in
the industries we operate in is intense. Our continued ability to compete effectively depends on our ability to attract new employees and to retain and
motivate our existing employees. As competitions in our industries intensify, it may be more difficult for us to hire, motivate and retain highly skilled
personnel. In general, if we do not succeed in attracting additional highly skilled personnel or retaining or motivating our existing personnel, we may be
unable to grow effectively. In certain emerging industry, such as autonomous driving, many players with sufficient funds would heavily devote their
resources to compete for talents with us. To keep our competitiveness and market position, we would need to, among others, recruit, train and retain our
key talents and employees, in particular research and development personnel. If we fail to do so, we may lag behind with respect to the ever-emerging
and cutting-edge technologies in the emerging industry, and our prospects in such industry would be ultimately harmed.
We are exposed to significant downward adjustments or impairments in the market values of our investments, which may materially affect our
financial results.
As part of our business strategy, we have investments in both private and public companies. Fair values of these investments can be negatively
impacted by fluctuations in the share prices of public companies we own, the fair value of private companies we own, liquidity, credit deterioration or
losses, financial results, foreign exchange rates, changes in interest rates, or other factors. In addition, after adopting ASC Topic 321, Investments—
Equity Securities (“ASC 321”), on January 1, 2018, for investments previously accounted for using the cost method, we elected to use the measurement
alternative to measure these investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly
transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, if any. Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are measured at fair
value, and any changes in fair value are recognized in earnings, instead of through other comprehensive income if they were previously designated as
available for sale equity securities under legacy GAAP. The change of these equity securities’ fair value could result in significant fluctuation of our
financial condition and operating results.
For example, in 2019, the market value of Trip.com declined, and the continuing low market price of its ADSs caused us to recognize a non-cash
impairment loss of RMB8.9 billion in the third quarter of 2019. We have also recognized impairment charges on our long-term investments in 2020 and
2021, due to the impact of COVID-19, regulatory and competitive environment of the industries, circumstances of our invested companies and other
factors. For instance, the market value of KE Holdings Inc. and DiDi Global Inc. declined in 2021, and the continuing low market price of its shares
caused us to recognize a fair-value loss in 2021. We may still suffer significant impairment loss or downward adjustments of our investments in the
future, due to the potential worsening global economic conditions and the recent disruptions to, and volatility in, the global financial markets resulting
from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensive geopolitical conflicts. The carrying amounts of short-term investments and long-term investments as
of December 31, 2021 were RMB143.2 billion (US$22.5 billion) and RMB67.3 billion (US$10.6 billion), respectively. The value or liquidity of our
investments could decline and result in a material impairment, which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
We are subject to risks and uncertainties faced by companies in a rapidly evolving industry.
We operate in the rapidly evolving internet industry, which makes it difficult to predict our future results of operations. Accordingly, you should
consider our future prospects in light of the risks and uncertainties experienced by companies in evolving industries. Some of these risks and
uncertainties relate to our ability to:
•
•
maintain our leading position in the Chinese-language internet search market;
offer attractive, useful and innovative products and services to attract and retain a larger user base;
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
procure content from studios and other content providers, as well as distribution channels and other licensors of content;
attract users’ continuing use of internet search services;
retain existing customers and attract additional customers and increase spending per customer;
evaluate the credit worthiness and collectability of accounts receivables from an evolving variety of customers, whose failure to pay us in a
timely manner may adversely affect our liquidity position;
retain members and attract new members of iQIYI’s membership services;
upgrade our technology to support increased traffic and expanded product-and-service offerings;
further enhance our brand;
respond to competitive market conditions;
respond to evolving user preferences or industry changes;
respond to changes in the regulatory environment and manage legal risks, including those associated with intellectual property rights;
maintain effective control of our costs and expenses;
execute our strategic investments and acquisitions and post-acquisition integrations effectively;
attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel and maintain good relations with a young and growing work force; and
build profitable operations in new markets and other overseas internet markets we have entered into.
If we are unsuccessful in addressing any of these risks and uncertainties, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Our indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and our ability to obtain additional capital on reasonable terms when necessary.
As of December 31, 2021, we had an aggregate of RMB83.1 billion (US$13.0 billion) of outstanding indebtedness (including loans, convertible
senior notes and notes payable), which will mature between 2022 and 2031, which include RMB16.8 billion (US$2.6 billion) of outstanding
indebtedness of iQIYI. On April 2, 2021, we entered into a five-year term and revolving facilities agreement with a group of 22 arrangers, pursuant to
which we are entitled to borrow US$3.0 billion with a term of five years and we have drawn down RMB12.8 billion (US$2.0 billion) loan under the
facility commitment. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” We may incur additional
indebtedness in the future. Our current and future debt requires us to dedicate a portion of our cash flow to service interest and principal payments and
may limit our ability to engage in other transactions. Our ability to pay interest and repay the principal for our indebtedness is dependent upon our
ability to manage our business operations, generate sufficient cash flows, raise additional capital and the other factors discussed in this section. There
can be no assurance that we will be able to manage any of these risks successfully.
Certain of our outstanding indebtedness include financial and other covenants. For example, certain of these covenants require iQIYI to maintain
minimum liquidity. If we fail to comply with these covenants and are unable to remedy or obtain a waiver or amendment, an event of default would
result. If an event of default were to occur, the lenders could, among other things, declare outstanding amounts due and payable. In addition, outstanding
notes of Baidu, Inc. contain customary cross default and cross acceleration provisions, which would permit the notes holders to accelerate the repayment
of these notes. In particular, for certain of the outstanding notes of Baidu, Inc., an event of default or declaration of acceleration under the indebtedness
of principal
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controlled entities, such as iQIYI, could also result in an event of default under such notes of Baidu, Inc., which would permit the notes holders to
accelerate the repayment of such notes of Baidu, Inc. For more detailed description of cross default and cross acceleration provisions under these notes,
see “Item 5.B. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” If the payment of any of our outstanding notes is
accelerated, we may be required to renegotiate, repay or refinance these obligations and may not have sufficient funds available to repay it, and our
liquidity and financial position would be materially and adversely affected.
We may require additional capital to support our business growth or to respond to business opportunities, challenges or unforeseen circumstances.
Our ability to obtain additional capital, if and when required, will depend on our business plans, investor demand, our operating performance, the
condition of the capital markets, and other factors, and our indebtedness may limit our ability to borrow additional funds. We may have difficulty
incurring new debt on terms that we would consider to be commercially reasonable. In addition, we may also need to refinance a portion or all of our
outstanding debt as it matures. There is a risk that we may not be able to refinance existing debt or that the terms of any refinancing may not be as
favorable as the terms of our existing debt.
iQIYI has significant working capital requirements, and our controlling interest in iQIYI may be diluted if iQIYI raises additional capital by issuing
and selling additional equity in the future.
iQIYI, our controlled subsidiary listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, has experienced working capital deficits. iQIYI had achieved a
working capital surplus as of December 31, 2019, but experienced a working capital deficit as of December 31, 2020 and 2021. There is no assurance
that iQIYI will be able to improve its working capital position and achieve working capital surplus again, although iQIYI will take actions to manage its
working capital. iQIYI completed a concurrent equity and convertible bond offering in December 2020 and January 2021, respectively, and completed
an equity financing in March 2022. There can be no assurance that iQIYI will be able to raise additional equity or debt financing on terms that are
acceptable to iQIYI in the future. Any failure to do so as and when necessary could materially adversely affect iQIYI’s liquidity, results of operations,
financial condition and ability to operate. In addition, when iQIYI obtains additional financing by issuing and selling additional equity or equity-linked
securities, such as convertible bonds, our interest in iQIYI will be diluted.
iQIYI operates in a capital intensive industry and requires a significant amount of cash to fund its operations, content acquisitions and technology
investments. If iQIYI cannot obtain sufficient capital, its business, financial condition and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.
The operation of an internet video streaming platform requires significant and continuous investment in content and technology. Producing high-
quality original content is costly and time-consuming and it will typically take a long period of time to realize returns on investment, if at all. To date,
iQIYI has financed its operations primarily with net cash generated from operating activities, as well as financing activities such as placements of
preferred shares, convertible notes and asset-based securities, and the proceeds from its initial public offering. In order to implement its operational
strategies, iQIYI will incur additional capital in the future to cover, among others, costs to produce and license content. iQIYI may need to obtain
additional financing, including equity offering or debt financing, to fund the operation and expansion of business. iQIYI’s ability to obtain additional
financing in the future, however, is subject to a number of uncertainties, including those relating to:
•
•
•
iQIYI’s business development, financial condition and results of operations;
general market conditions for financing activities by companies in iQIYI’s industry; and
macro-economic and other conditions in China and elsewhere.
As a public company with a growing business, iQIYI expects to increasingly rely on net cash provided by operating activities, financing through
capital markets and commercial banks for its liquidity needs. However,
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iQIYI cannot assure you that it will be successful in its efforts to further diversify its sources of liquidity and obtain financing. In addition, certain
financing may pose additional capital needs on iQIYI, for example, the potential redemption by holders of iQIYI’s convertible notes. There is substantial
doubt regarding iQIYI’s ability to continue as a going concern as it does not have sufficient funds without securing additional financing to repurchase all
or a significant portion of its outstanding 2025 convertible notes if redeemed by noteholders on April 1, 2023. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial
Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” iQIYI has plans in place to reduce discretionary capital expenditures and operational expense
and secure additional financing. However, successful completion of such plans is dependent on factors beyond iQIYI’s control and there can be no
assurances that new financings or other transactions will be available to iQIYI on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, the potential
worsening global economic conditions and the recent disruptions to, and volatility in, the global financial markets resulting from factors such as the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensive geopolitical conflicts, may adversely impact iQIYI’s ability to secure additional financing. If iQIYI is not
able to continue to operate as a going concern, it may in turn have adverse impact to our results of operations and financial conditions.
Our results of operations may fluctuate, which makes our results difficult to predict and could cause our results to fall short of expectations.
Our results of operations may fluctuate as a result of a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. For these reasons, comparing our
results of operations on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful, and you should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future
performance. Our quarterly and annual revenues and costs and expenses as a percentage of our revenues may be significantly different from our
historical or projected figures. Our results of operations in future quarters may fall below expectations. We have ceased or downsized certain of our
business, such as games and education, in the past year due to the changing business and regulatory environment in China, which had an adverse effect
on our financial results. We cannot assure you that similar cessation or downsize of business will not take place in the future, and our financial results
may be adversely affected. Any of the foregoing could cause the price of our ADSs to fall. Any of the risk factors listed in this “Risk Factors” section,
and in particular the following factors, could cause our results of operations to fluctuate from quarter to quarter:
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general economic conditions in China and economic conditions specific to the internet, internet search and feed, and online marketing
industries;
our ability to continue to attract users to our platform despite the emergence of mobile apps and other services;
our ability to retain existing customers, attract additional customers and increase spending per customer;
the announcement or introduction of new or enhanced products and services by us or our competitors;
the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures related to the maintenance and expansion of our businesses, operations
and infrastructure;
the results of our acquisitions of, or investments in, other businesses or assets;
PRC regulations or government actions pertaining to activities on the internet, including various forms of entertainment, online payment
and activities otherwise affecting our online marketing customers, and those relating to the products and services we provide;
unforeseen events, such as negative publicity arising from widespread media coverage and other sources and labor disputes, or unexpected
cessation or downsize of existing business; and
geopolitical events, natural disasters or epidemics.
Because of the rapid growth of our business, our historical results of operations may not be useful to you in predicting our future results of
operations. Our user traffic tends to be seasonal. For example, we generally
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experience less user traffic during public holidays and other special event periods in China. In addition, advertising and other marketing spending in
China has historically been cyclical, reflecting overall economic conditions as well as budgeting and buying patterns. As we continue to grow, we expect
that the cyclicality and seasonality in our business may cause our results of operations to fluctuate.
A severe and prolonged downturn in the Chinese or global economy could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and
financial condition.
COVID-19 has had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese and global economy since early 2020. Whether this will lead to a prolonged
downturn in the economy is still unknown, especially considering the multiple recent outbreaks in various countries and regions as well as the
uncertainties brought by the vaccination programs. Even before the outbreak of COVID-19, the global macroeconomic environment had been facing
challenges. The growth of the Chinese economy has gradually slowed down in recent years and the trend may continue. There is considerable
uncertainty over the long-term effects of the monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s
leading economies, including the United States and China. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe and
Africa. Recently, the Russia-Ukraine war has caused, and continues to intensify, significant geopolitical tensions in Europe and across the global. The
resulting sanctions are expected to have significant impacts on the economic conditions of the targeted countries and markets. There have also been
concerns on the relationship between China and other countries, including surrounding Asian countries, which may potentially lead to foreign investors
closing down their businesses or withdrawing their investments in China and, thus, exiting the China market, and other economic effects. In particular,
there are significant uncertainties about the future relationship between the United States and China with respect to trade policies, treaties, government
regulations and tariffs. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, as well as changes in domestic economic and political
policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or Chinese economy
may have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and continued turbulence in the international markets may
adversely affect our ability to access the capital markets to meet liquidity needs. Our customers may reduce or delay spending with us, while we may
have difficulty expanding our customer base fast enough, or at all, to offset the impact of decreased spending by our existing customers. In addition, to
the extent we offer credit to any customer and the customer experiences financial difficulties due to the economic slowdown, we could have difficulty
collecting payment from the customer.
Rising international political tensions, including changes in U.S. and international trade policies, particularly with regard to China, may adversely
impact our business and operating results.
The U.S. government has made statements and taken certain actions that may lead to changes in U.S. and international trade policies towards
China. In January 2020, the “Phase One” agreement was signed between the United States and China on trade matters. However, it remains unclear what
additional actions, if any, will be taken by the U.S. or other governments with respect to international trade agreements, the imposition of tariffs on
goods imported into the United States, tax policy related to international commerce, or other trade matters. While cross-border business may not be an
area of focus for us, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the demand for our
products and services, impact the competitive position of our products or prevent us from selling products in certain countries. If any new tariffs,
legislation and/or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated or, in particular, if the U.S. government takes retaliatory
trade actions due to recent U.S.-China trade tensions, such changes could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
In addition, we have been closely monitoring domestic policies in the United States designed to restrict certain Chinese companies from supplying
or operating in the U.S. market. These policies include the Clean Network project initiated by the U.S. Department of State in August 2020, new
authorities granted to the Department of Commerce to prohibit or restrict the use of information and communications technology and
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services, or ICTS, and Executive Order on Protecting America’s Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries published in June 2021. While a substantial
majority of our business is conducted in China, policies like these may deter U.S. users from accessing and/or using our search engine, apps and other
products in the United States, which could adversely impact our user experience and reputation. Similarly, India has permanently banned a large number
of apps since 2020 out of national security concerns, many of which are China-based apps (including our apps), escalating regional political and trade
tensions.
Likewise, we are monitoring policies in the United States that are aimed at restricting U.S. persons from investing in or supplying certain Chinese
companies. The United States and various foreign governments have imposed controls, license requirements and restrictions on the import or export of
technologies and products (or voiced the intention to do so). For instance, the United States is in the process of finalizing new export controls with
respect to “emerging and foundational” technologies, which may include certain AI and semiconductor technologies. In addition, the U.S. government
may potentially impose a ban prohibiting U.S. persons from making investments in or engaging in transactions with certain Chinese companies.
Measures such as these could deter suppliers in the United States and/or other countries that impose export controls and other restrictions from providing
technologies and products to, making investments in, or otherwise engaging in transactions with Chinese companies. As a result, Chinese companies
would have to identify and secure alterative supplies or sources of financing, while they may not be able to do so in a timely manner and at
commercially acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, Chinese companies may have to limit and reduce their research and development and other
business activities, or cease conducting transactions with parties, in the United States and other countries that impose export controls or other
restrictions. Like other Chinese companies, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected as a result.
Failure to retain key third-party agents or attract additional third-party agents, or termination of our relationship with third-party agents could
materially and adversely affect our business. Moreover, there is no assurance that our direct sales model in some key geographic markets will
continue to be successful.
We rely, to a large extent, on a nationwide distribution network of third-party agents for our sales to, and collection of payment from, our
customers. The operations and conduct of such third-party agents are beyond our control. They may fail to provide quality services to our customers or
otherwise breach their contracts with our customers, or experience operational or financial difficulties or run out of business, or engage in misconduct
with respect to our sales and our customers. If any of the foregoing issues arise, we may terminate our relationship with third-party agents, lose
customers and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. In the past, there had been alleged incidents of certain of our
employees and consultants colluding with third-party agents in illegal activities. Although we have zero tolerance towards any illegal activities and have
internal policies and procedures against employee misconduct, we cannot assure you that our employees would always comply with such policies and
procedures, nor can we control third-party agents’ conduct or guarantee that such incidents would not happen again. In addition, since most of third-
party agents are not bound by long-term contracts, we cannot assure you that we will continue to maintain favorable relationships with them. If we fail
to retain key third-party agents or attract additional ones on terms that are commercially reasonable, our business and results of operations could be
materially and adversely affected. We may decide to terminate existing third-party agents and transition to new ones or to our own distribution channel.
If we decide and fail to smoothly transition our business to new third-party agents or to our own distribution channel, our business and results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We have transitioned to using our direct sales force to serve customers in some key geographic markets, such as Beijing, Shanghai and other
cities. There is no assurance that our direct sales model in those markets will continue to be successful. If we fail to maintain an adequate direct sales
force, retain existing customers and continue to attract new customers in those markets, our business, results of operations and prospects could be
materially and adversely affected.
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We may not be able to detect or prevent misconduct committed by our employees or third parties.
Misconduct by our employees, such as unauthorized business transactions, bribery, corruption and breach of our internal policies and procedures,
or by consultants or other third parties, such as breach of law, may be difficult to detect or prevent. It could subject us to financial loss and sanctions
imposed by governmental authorities while seriously damaging our reputation. This may also impair our ability to effectively attract prospective users,
develop customer loyalty, obtain financing on favorable terms and conduct other business activities. Our risk management systems, information
technology systems and internal control procedures are designed to monitor our operations and overall compliance. Historically we have identified
certain incidents of employee and third-party misconduct. However, there can be no assurance we will be able to identify non-compliance or illegal
activities promptly, or at all. Furthermore, it is not always possible to detect and prevent misconduct committed by our employees or third parties, and
the precautions we take to prevent and detect such activities may not be effective. This may materially and adversely affect our business, brand, financial
condition and results of operations.
We rely on Baidu Union partners for a significant portion of our revenues. If we fail to retain existing Baidu Union partners or attract additional
members, our revenue growth and profitability may be adversely affected.
We pay Baidu Union partners a portion of our revenues as we leverage traffic of the Baidu Union partners’ internet properties. Some of Baidu
Union partners, however, may compete with us in one or more areas of our business. Therefore, they may decide in the future to terminate their
relationships with us. If Baidu Union partners decide to use a competitor’s or their own internet search services, or if our competitors offer more
attractive prices to bid for union traffic, our user traffic may decline, which may adversely affect our revenues. If we fail to attract additional Baidu
Union partners, our revenue growth may be adversely affected. In addition, if we have to share a larger portion of our revenues to retain existing Baidu
Union partners or attract additional partners, our profitability may be adversely affected.
Our overseas operations may not be successful.
We have launched products and services in local languages to internet users in several countries. It is uncertain when the operation will become
profitable, if at all. In particular, we rely on local telecommunication operators and service providers to provide us with network services and data center
hosting services, and our systems for these international products and services are not redundant across different regions and data centers. Any
interruption to the internet infrastructure or any data center may render our products and services in the region unavailable.
We face certain risks inherent in doing business internationally, including:
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difficulties in developing, staffing and simultaneously managing a foreign operation as a result of distance, language and cultural
differences;
challenges in formulating effective local sales and marketing strategies targeting users from various jurisdictions and cultures, who have a
diverse range of preferences and demands;
challenges in identifying appropriate local business partners and establishing and maintaining good working relationships with them;
dependence on local platforms in marketing our international products and services overseas;
challenges in selecting suitable geographical regions for international business;
longer customer payment cycles;
currency exchange rate fluctuations;
political or social unrest or economic instability;
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compliance with applicable foreign laws and regulations and unexpected changes in laws or regulations;
exposure to different tax jurisdictions that may subject us to greater fluctuations in our effective tax rate and potentially adverse tax
consequences; and
increased costs associated with doing business in foreign jurisdictions.
One or more of these factors could harm our overseas operations and consequently, could harm our overall results of operations.
If we are unable to adapt or expand our existing technology infrastructure to accommodate greater traffic, content or additional customer
requirements, our business may be harmed.
Our Baidu platform regularly serves a large number of users and customers and delivers a large number of daily page views. Our technology
infrastructure is highly complex and may not provide satisfactory service in the future, especially as the number of users and customers increases. We
may be required to upgrade our technology infrastructure to keep up with the increasing traffic on our Baidu platform, such as increasing the capacity of
our servers and the sophistication of our software. If we fail to adapt our technology infrastructure to accommodate greater traffic or customer
requirements, our users and customers may become dissatisfied with our services and switch to our competitors’ websites, which could harm our
business.
If we fail to detect fraudulent click-throughs, our customers’ confidence in us could be damaged and our revenues could decline.
We are exposed to the risk of click-through fraud on our paid search results. Click-through fraud occurs when a person clicks paid search results
for a reason other than to view the underlying content of search results. Although our anti-spam algorithms and tools can identify and respond to spam
web pages quickly and effectively and thus capture and prevent some fraudulent click-throughs, there is no assurance that our anti-spam technology is
able to detect and stop all fraudulent click-throughs. If we fail to detect fraudulent clicks or otherwise are unable to prevent this fraudulent activity, the
affected customers may experience a reduced return on investments, or ROI, in our online marketing services and lose confidence in the integrity of our
systems, and we may have to issue refunds to our customers. If this happens, we may be unable to retain existing customers or attract new customers for
our online marketing services, and our online marketing revenues could decline. In addition, affected customers may also file legal actions against us
claiming that we have over-charged or failed to refund them. Any such claims or similar claims, regardless of their merits, could be time-consuming and
costly for us to defend against and could also adversely affect our brand and our customers’ confidence in the integrity of our systems. We experienced a
number of incidents involving fraudulent click-throughs in recent years. Although the amount of revenue involved in these incidents was immaterial,
such cases of fraudulent click-throughs, if occurring on a large-scale and widespread manner, may damage the reputation of our search ecosystem.
The successful operation of our business depends upon the performance and reliability of the internet infrastructure and fixed telecommunications
networks in China.
Our business depends on the performance and reliability of the internet infrastructure in China. Almost all access to the internet is maintained
through state-owned telecommunication operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the MIIT. In addition, the national
networks in China are connected to the internet through international gateways controlled by the PRC government. These international gateways are the
only channels through which a domestic user can connect to the internet. It is unpredictable whether a more sophisticated internet infrastructure will be
developed in China. We may not have access to alternative networks
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in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with China’s internet infrastructure. In addition, the internet infrastructure in China may not
support the demands associated with continued growth in internet usage.
We rely heavily on China Telecommunications Corporation, or China Telecom, China United Network Communications Group Company
Limited, or China Unicom, and China Mobile Communications Corporation, or China Mobile, to provide us with network services and data center
hosting services. We have entered into contracts with various local branches or subsidiaries of China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile to
obtain data communications capacity. We have limited access to alternative services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with the fixed
telecommunications networks of these companies, or if these companies otherwise fail to provide the services. Any unscheduled service interruption
could damage our reputation and result in a decrease in our revenues. Furthermore, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by these
telecommunication companies. If the prices that we pay for telecommunications and internet services rise significantly, our gross margins could be
adversely affected. In addition, if internet access fees or other charges to internet users increase, our user traffic may decrease, which in turn may harm
our revenues.
Security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, or any system failure or compromise of our security, could harm
our reputation and adversely affect our business.
Our business is prone to cyber-attacks seeking unauthorized access to our data or user data or to disrupt our ability to provide services. Any failure
to prevent or mitigate security breaches and improper access to or disclosure of our data or user data, such as personal information, including names,
accounts, user IDs and passwords, and payment or transaction related information, could result in the loss or misuse of such data, which could cause a
loss or give rise to liabilities to the owners of confidential information, such as our users, customers, third-party agents, content providers and Baidu
Union partners, subject us to penalties imposed by administrative authorities, and disrupt our operations. For example, Baidu Drive provides services to
many individual users who may upload sensitive personal information and documents of significance to Baidu Drive. In the event of an unauthorized
access, such information and documents might be leaked or even further sold through illegal means. In addition, computer malware, viruses, social
engineering (predominantly spear phishing attacks), and general hacking have become more prevalent in our industry, have occurred on our systems in
the past, and may occur again on our systems in the future. We also regularly encounter attempts to create false or undesirable user accounts, purchase
ads, or take other actions on our platform for purposes such as spamming, spreading misinformation, or other objectionable ends. As a result of our
prominence, the size of our user base, and the types and volume of personal data on our systems, we believe that we are a particularly attractive target
for such breaches and attacks. Such attacks may cause interruptions to the services we provide, degrade the user experience, cause users or customers to
lose confidence and trust in our products and services, impair our internal systems, or result in financial harm to us.
We have adopted strict information security policies and deployed advanced measures to implement the policies, including, among others,
advanced encryption technologies. However, we may not be able to implement adequate preventative measures or prevent compromises or breaches of
our preventative measures due to the evolution of the sophistication of cyber-attacks, advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication and
diversity of our products and services, an increased level of expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or others, software bugs or
other technical malfunctions, employee, contractor, or vendor error or malfeasance, government surveillance, or other evolving threats. As a result, we
may incur significant costs in protecting against or remediating cyber-attacks.
In addition, some of our developers or other partners, such as those that help us measure the effectiveness of advertisements, may receive or store
information provided by us or by our users through mobile or web applications integrated with our products. We provide limited information to such
third parties based on the scope of services provided to us. However, if these third parties fail to adopt or adhere to adequate data security practices, or in
the event of a breach of their networks, our data or our users’ data may be improperly accessed, used, or disclosed.
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Affected users or government authorities could initiate legal or regulatory actions against us in connection with any actual or perceived security
breaches or improper disclosure of data, which could cause us to incur significant expense and liabilities or result in orders or consent decrees forcing us
to modify our business practices. Such incidents or our efforts to remediate such incidents may also result in a decline in our user base or engagement
levels. Any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our business, reputation, or results of operations.
Defects or errors in our products or services could diminish demand for our products or services, harm our business and results of operations and
subject us to liability.
Our customers use our products for important aspects of their personal lives or businesses. Any errors, defects or disruptions to our products and
any other performance problems with our products could damage our customers’ personal lives or businesses and, in turn, hurt our brand and reputation.
We provide regular updates to our products, which have in the past contained, and may in the future contain, undetected errors, failures, vulnerabilities
and bugs when first introduced or released. Real or perceived errors, failures or bugs in our products could result in negative publicity, loss of or delay in
market acceptance of our platform, loss of competitive position, lower customer retention or claims by customers for losses sustained by them. In such
an event, we may be required, or may choose, for customer relations or other reasons, to expend additional resources in order to help correct the
problem. In addition, we may not carry insurance to compensate us for any losses that may result from claims arising from defects or disruptions in our
products. As a result, our reputation and our brand could be harmed, and our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely
affected.
Concerns and unfavorable media coverage relating to our privacy practices could damage our reputation, deter current and potential users and
customers from using our products and services and negatively impact our business.
The internet industry is facing significant challenges with respect to information security and privacy, including the storage, transmission and
sharing of confidential information. The general public, our users, customers, third-party agents, content providers and Baidu Union partners are
increasingly aware of the vulnerability of confidential and private information. We will continue to experience media or regulatory scrutiny of our
actions or decisions regarding user privacy, content or advertising. Furthermore, concerns have been expressed from time to time about whether our
products, services or processes could compromise the privacy of users and others.
We transmit and store confidential and private information of our users, customers, third-party agents, content providers and Baidu Union
partners, such as personal information, including names, accounts, user IDs and passwords, and payment or transaction related information. Historically
there has been negative publicity or media reports making allegations about our practice, and we cannot rule out similar possibilities of such in the
future. Although we strive to comply with all privacy related requirements, we cannot guarantee that our products or services are at all times without
defect due to the complexity and rapid evolvement of technology, etc. Concerns about our practices with regard to the collection, use, disclosure, or
security of personal information or other privacy related matters, and any negative publicity on our information safety or privacy protection mechanism
and policy, even if unfounded, has in the past, and could adversely affect our business and results of operations and financial condition. Such concerns
and negative publicity could damage our reputation and brand, and have an adverse effect on the size, engagement and loyalty of our user base, which
could adversely affect our business and results.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may lose investor confidence in the reliability of our
financial statements.
We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The SEC, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,
adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management
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report on the company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its
internal control over financial reporting. In addition, an independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of
the company’s internal control over financial reporting. We have been subject to these requirements since the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006.
Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021. See “Item 15. Controls
and Procedures.” Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report, which has concluded that our internal control over
financial reporting was effective in all material aspects as of December 31, 2021. However, if we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control
over financial reporting in the future, our management and our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to conclude that we have
effective internal control over financial reporting at a reasonable assurance level. This could in turn result in loss of investor confidence in the reliability
of our financial statements and negatively impact the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs. Furthermore, we have incurred and
anticipate that we will continue to incur considerable costs, management time and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other requirements.
Termination or other changes of related party transactions in the ordinary course of business may have an adverse impact on our results of
operations and financial performance.
Certain parties with which we transact may be deemed as our related parties by virtual of our equity interests in or significant influence over them.
We have entered into transactions with these related parties in the ordinary course of business such as providing online marketing and/or other services
to them. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, we had related party transactions of RMB3.0 billion, RMB2.8 billion and RMB4.4 billion in aggregate, respectively, in
connection with online marketing and other services provided to related parties in our ordinary course of business. Please refer to “Item 7. Major
Shareholders and Related Party Transactions” for more details. However, such related party transactions may discontinue in the future for a variety of
reasons, such as the development status of relevant business or our relationship with the relevant parties. For example, a party may cease to be our
related party, when we strategically dispose of our equity interests or otherwise cease to have significant influence over it, and such change in
relationship may adversely affect our transactions and other business collaboration with the party. In addition, if we later on acquire a controlling stake
in a related party or otherwise consolidate its results into our consolidated financial statements, our transactions with such party will no longer be related
party transactions, and will not contribute to our financial results on a consolidated basis. Although we do not rely on these related party transactions,
such change in relationship and/or transactions with related parties may have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial performance.
We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities.
We are subject to enterprise income tax, or EIT, VAT, and other taxes in many provinces and cities in China and our tax structure is subject to
review by various local tax authorities. The determination of our provision for income tax and other tax liabilities requires significant judgment. In the
ordinary course of our business, there are many transactions and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. For example, if our P4P
service is classified as a form of advertisement distribution service, we may be required to pay a cultural business construction fee. See “Item 5.A.
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results— Taxation—PRC VAT in Lieu of Business Tax.” In addition, if this classification of
P4P services were to be retroactively applied, we might be subject to sanctions, including payment of delinquent fees and fines for the revenues
generated from our P4P services prior to the classification. Moreover, under the EIT Law, the PRC tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments
on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s-length principles. Particularly, pursuant to the
Administrative Measures for Special Tax Adjustment and Investigation and Mutual Consultation Procedures issued by the State Administration of Tax
in March 2017, if a PRC enterprise makes an outbound payment to its overseas related party which undertakes no functions, bears no risks or has no
substantial operation or activities and such payment
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is inconsistent with arm’s-length principles, the tax authorities may carry out a special tax adjustment based on the full amount deducted prior to tax.
Although we believe all our related party transactions, including all payments by our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to our
non-PRC entities, are made on an arm’s-length basis and our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate decisions by the relevant tax authorities may differ
from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our financial results in the period or periods for which such
determination is made.
Furthermore, due to shifting economic and political conditions, tax policies, laws, or rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant
changes in ways that could impair our financial results. Various jurisdictions around the world have enacted or are considering enacting digital services
taxes, which could lead to inconsistent and potentially overlapping international tax regimes of highly-digitalized businesses. The Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development continues to advance proposals relating to its initiative for modernizing international tax rules including
Two-Pillar Solution to address the tax challenges arising from the digitalization of the economy, with the goal of having different countries implement a
modernized and aligned international tax framework, but there are uncertainties on the rules and implementations and there is no guarantee that this will
not affect our financial results.
In addition, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities providing advertising services are exempted from cultural business
construction fee for 2020 and 2021 and enjoy a 50% reduction of cultural business construction fee from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. There
is no assurance that the 50% reduction will continue after 2024.
We are subject to changing laws and regulations regarding regulatory matters, corporate governance and public disclosures that have increased
both our costs and the risk of non-compliance.
We are subject to rules and regulations by various governing bodies, including, for example, the SEC, which is charged with the protection of
investors and the oversight of companies whose securities are publicly traded, and the various regulatory authorities in China and the Cayman Islands,
and to new and evolving regulatory measures under applicable law. Our efforts to comply with new and changing laws and regulations have resulted in
and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-
generating activities to compliance activities.
Moreover, because these laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, their application in practice may evolve over time
as new guidance becomes available. This evolution may result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and additional costs necessitated
by ongoing revisions to our disclosure and governance practices. If we fail to address and comply with these regulations and any subsequent changes,
we may be subject to penalty and our business may be harmed.
We have limited business insurance coverage.
We have purchased insurance to cover certain liabilities, properties, product quality and employees in connection with our intelligent driving
business. We only have limited business liability or disruption insurance coverage for our operations in China. Any business disruption may result in our
incurring substantial costs and the diversion of our resources.
We face risks related to health epidemics, severe weather conditions and other outbreaks.
In recent years, there have been outbreaks of epidemics in China and globally, including the outbreak of COVID-19. In March 2020, the World
Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic. COVID-19 has resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and the temporary closure of
businesses and facilities in China and worldwide.
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Our results of operations have been, and could continue to be adversely, and may be materially, affected, to the extent that the COVID-19 or any
other epidemic harms the Chinese and global economy in general. Any potential impact to our results will depend on, to a large extent, future
developments and new information that may emerge regarding the duration and severity of the COVID-19 and the actions taken by government
authorities and other entities to contain the COVID-19 or treat its impact, including the effectiveness of the vaccine programs, almost all of which are
beyond our control. For the COVID-19’s impact on our financial results, please see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” Potential
impacts include, but are not limited to, the following:
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temporary closure of offices, travel restrictions or suspension of services of our customers and suppliers have negatively affected, and
could continue to negatively affect, the demand for our services;
our customers in industries that are negatively impacted by COVID-19, including healthcare, travel, offline education, franchising,
auto/transportation and real estate/home furnishing sectors, may reduce their budgets on online advertising and marketing, which may
materially adversely impact our revenue from online marketing services;
our customers may require additional time to pay us or fail to pay us at all, which could significantly increase the amount of accounts
receivable and require us to record additional allowances for doubtful accounts. We have provided and may continue to provide significant
sales incentives to our customers and third-party agents during the pandemic, which may in turn materially adversely affect our financial
condition and operating results;
the business operations of our third-party agents have been and could continue to be negatively impacted by the pandemic, which may
negatively impact our distribution channel, or result in loss of customers or disruption of our services, which may in turn materially
adversely affect our financial condition and operating results;
any disruption of our supply chain, logistics providers or customers could adversely impact our business and results of operations,
including causing us or our suppliers to cease manufacturing Xiaodu smart devices for a period of time or materially delay delivery to
customers, which may also lead to loss of customers, as well as reputational, competitive and business harm to us;
many of our customers, third-party agents, suppliers and other partners are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may not
have strong cash flows or be well capitalized, and may be vulnerable to a pandemic and slowing macroeconomic conditions. If the SMEs
that we work with cannot weather COVID-19 and the resulting economic impact, or cannot resume business as usual after a prolonged
pandemic, our revenues and business operations may be materially and adversely impacted;
the global stock markets have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant decline from the COVID-19 pandemic and the
private and public companies that we have invested in could be materially adversely affected, which may lead to significant impairment in
the fair values of our investments and in turn materially adversely affect our financial condition and operating results; and
corporate social responsibility initiatives we put forth in response to COVID-19, such as the RMB300 million charitable initiative with the
goal of providing awareness education and improving public health in China, and many other efforts to leverage our technology, products
and services to help contain the pandemic, may negatively affect our financial condition and operating results.
The potential downturn brought by and the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, and actual effects will
depend on many factors beyond our control. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we provided additional allowance for credit losses for accounts
receivable and contract assets, recognized impairment charges on our long-term investments and content assets, and recorded loss from equity method
investments, due to various factors including the severe impact of COVID-19. During the year
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ended December 31, 2021, macroeconomy was gradually recovering in China and business activities largely resumed. However, the extent of the
COVID-19’s future impact is still significantly uncertain and will depend on a number of factors, including the duration and severity of COVID-19,
possibility of another wave in China and other countries, the development of the vaccine and other medical treatment, the actions taken by government
authorities to contain the outbreak, and government stimulus measures, almost all of which are beyond our control. As a result, certain of our estimates
and assumptions, including the allowance for credit losses, the valuation of certain debt and equity investments, long-term investments, content assets
and long-lived assets subject to impairment assessments, require significant judgments and carry a higher degree of variabilities and volatilities that
could result in material changes to our current estimates in future periods. We are closely monitoring the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on us.
In general, our business could be adversely affected by the effects of epidemics, including, but not limited to, the COVID-19, avian influenza,
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the influenza A virus, Ebola virus, severe weather conditions such as a snowstorm, flood or hazardous air
pollution, or other outbreaks. In response to an epidemic, severe weather conditions, or other outbreaks, government and other organizations may adopt
regulations and policies that could lead to severe disruption to our daily operations, including temporary closure of our offices and other facilities. These
severe conditions may cause us and/or our partners to make internal adjustments, including, but not limited to, temporarily closing down business,
limiting business hours, and setting restrictions on travel and/or visits with clients and partners for a prolonged period of time. Various impact arising
from a severe condition may cause business disruption, resulting in material, adverse impact to our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure
PRC laws and regulations governing our businesses and the validity of certain of our contractual arrangements are uncertain. If we are found to be
in violation, we could be subject to sanctions. In addition, changes in PRC laws and regulations or changes in interpretations thereof may materially
and adversely affect our business.
Current PRC laws and regulations place certain restrictions and conditions on foreign ownership of certain areas of businesses. For example,
pursuant to the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access (2021 Version), foreign investors are not allowed to
own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (excluding e-commerce, domestic multiparty
communications, store-and-forward and call centers). In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from investing in companies engaged in internet
culture businesses (except for music) and radio and television program production businesses.
We and our PRC subsidiaries are still considered foreign persons or foreign-invested enterprises under PRC foreign investment related laws. As a
result, we and our PRC subsidiaries are subject to PRC legal restrictions on or conditions for foreign ownership of various industries, including the
aforementioned ones. Due to these restrictions and conditions, we operate our platform and conduct business in certain restricted or prohibited industries
in China through our consolidated affiliated entities. As all the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities are either PRC citizens or
PRC domestic enterprises, these entities are therefore considered as PRC domestic enterprises under PRC law. The “nominee shareholders” refer to
those shareholders who have entered into exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements and equity pledge agreements with us as part of the
contractual arrangements. Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders allow us to have the
power to direct the activities of these entities that most significantly impact their economic performance. These contractual arrangements demonstrate
our ability and intention to continue to exercise the ability to absorb losses or receive economic benefits that could potentially be significant to the
consolidated affiliated entities. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, we derived 40%, 43% and 44% of our external revenues from our consolidated affiliated
entities, respectively.
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However, our company is a Cayman Islands holding company with no equity ownership in our consolidated affiliated entities and we conduct our
operations in China through (i) our PRC subsidiaries and (ii) our consolidated affiliated entities with which we have maintained contractual
arrangements. Investors in our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs thus are not purchasing equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities in China
but instead are purchasing equity interest in a Cayman Islands holding company. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with
our consolidated affiliated entities do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations
or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to
relinquish our interests in those operations. Baidu, Inc. may not be able to repay our indebtedness, and our shares may decline in value or become
worthless, if we are unable to assert our contractual control rights over the assets of our consolidated affiliated entities. Our holding company in the
Cayman Islands, our consolidated affiliated entities, and investors of our company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC
government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and, consequently, significantly
affect the financial performance of our consolidated affiliated entities and our company as a group.
There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws
and regulations governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities,
including but not limited to Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders. These laws and regulations may be subject to change, and their official
interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may
also be applied retroactively. Due to the uncertainty and complexity of the regulatory environment, we cannot assure you that we would always be in full
compliance with applicable laws and regulations, the violation of which may have adverse effect on our business and our reputation.
Although we believe we, our PRC subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated entities comply with current PRC laws and regulations, we cannot
assure you that the PRC government would agree that our contractual arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration or other regulatory
requirements, with existing policies or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. The PRC government has discretion in
determining rectifiable or punitive measures for non-compliance with or violations of PRC laws and regulations. If the PRC government determines that
we or our consolidated affiliated entities do not comply with applicable law, it could revoke our consolidated affiliated entities’ business and operating
licenses, require our consolidated affiliated entities to discontinue or restrict our consolidated affiliated entities’ operations, restrict our consolidated
affiliated entities’ right to collect revenues, block our consolidated affiliated entities’ websites, require our consolidated affiliated entities to restructure
their operations, impose additional conditions or requirements with which our consolidated affiliated entities may not be able to comply, impose
restrictions on our consolidated affiliated entities’ business operations or on their customers, or take other regulatory or enforcement actions against our
consolidated affiliated entities that could be harmful to their business. Any of these or similar occurrences could significantly disrupt our or our
consolidated affiliated entities’ business operations or restrict our consolidated affiliated entities from conducting a substantial portion of their business
operations, which could materially and adversely affect our consolidated affiliated entities’ business, financial condition and results of operations. If any
of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of any of our consolidated affiliated entities that most significantly impact its
economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from any of our consolidated affiliated entities, we may not be able to
consolidate these entities in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China and the individual nominee shareholders may not be as effective in
providing control over these entities as direct ownership.
Since PRC law restricts or imposes conditions on foreign equity ownership in the internet sector, value-added telecommunication-based online
marketing, online audio and video services and mobile application distribution companies in China, we operate our platform and conduct our value-
added telecommunication-based
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online marketing, online audio and video services and mobile app distribution businesses through our consolidated affiliated entities in China. We have
no equity interest in any of these entities and must rely on contractual arrangements to control and operate the businesses and assets held by our
consolidated affiliated entities, including the domain names and trademarks that have been transferred from our subsidiaries to our consolidated
affiliated entities in accordance with requirements of PRC law. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing control over these
entities as direct ownership. For example, our consolidated affiliated entities and the individual nominee shareholders could breach their contractual
arrangements with us by, among other things, failing to operate our business, such as using the domain names and trademarks our subsidiaries have
transferred to them or maintaining our platform, in an acceptable manner or taking other actions that are detrimental to our interests. If our consolidated
affiliated entities or the individual nominee shareholders fail to perform their obligations under these contractual arrangements, we may have to incur
substantial costs to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies under PRC law, including contract remedies, which may not be sufficient or
effective. If we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these
contractual arrangements, we may not be able to have the power to direct the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of our
consolidated affiliated entities, and we may lose control over the assets owned by our consolidated affiliated entities, including our baidu.com domain
name and website, and any other domain names and websites we have access to may not attract a large number of users and customers at the same level
as baidu.com. As a result, our ability to conduct our business may be materially and adversely affected, and we may not be able to consolidate the
financial results of the relevant affiliated entities into our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which may materially and
adversely affect our results of operations and damage our reputation.
Our contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities in China may result in adverse tax consequences to us.
As a result of our corporate structure and the contractual arrangements between our subsidiaries and each of our consolidated affiliated entities in
China, we would be subject to adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities were to determine that the contracts between our subsidiaries and
these consolidated affiliated entities were not on an arm’s-length basis and therefore constituted a favorable transfer pricing. Under the PRC Enterprise
Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, an enterprise must submit its annual tax return together with information on related-party transactions to the PRC tax
authorities. The PRC tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are
inconsistent with arm’s-length principles. For example, the PRC tax authorities could request that our consolidated affiliated entities adjust their taxable
income upward for PRC tax purposes. Such adjustment could adversely affect us by increasing our consolidated affiliated entities’ tax expenses without
reducing our subsidiaries’ tax expenses, which could subject our consolidated affiliated entities to interest due on late payments and other penalties for
under-payment of taxes.
The individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may adversely
affect our business. We do not have any arrangements in place to address such potential conflicts.
We have designated individuals who are PRC nationals to be the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China. For
example, Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and co-founder, is also the principal nominee shareholder of Baidu Netcom, which is
our principal consolidated affiliated entity.
Although the individual nominee shareholders are contractually obligated to act in good faith and in our best interest, they may still have potential
conflicts of interest with us. For example, some individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities do not have a significant equity
stake in our company other than the share options granted to them. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of
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these individuals will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. In addition, these individuals may breach,
cause our consolidated affiliated entities to breach or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements with us. Currently, we do not have any
arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these individuals and our company, except that we could exercise our transfer option
under the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement with the relevant individual nominee shareholder to request him/her to transfer all of
his/her equity ownership in the relevant consolidated affiliated entity to a PRC entity or individual designated by us. We rely on Mr. Robin Yanhong Li,
who is also a director of our company, to abide by the Cayman Islands law, which provides that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company, and those
who are also directors or officers of our PRC subsidiaries to abide by PRC law, which provides that directors and officers owe a fiduciary duty to the
company. Such fiduciary duty requires directors and/or officers to act in good faith and in the best interests of the company and not to use their positions
for personal gains. There are, however, no specific provisions under the Cayman Islands or PRC law on how to address potential conflicts of interest. If
we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the individual nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities, we
would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could disrupt our business, distract management and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the
outcome of any such legal proceedings.
We may be unable to collect long-term loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China.
As of December 31, 2021, we have made long-term loans in an aggregate principal amount of RMB19.4 billion (US$3.0 billion) to the nominee
shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities. We extended these loans to enable the nominee shareholders to fund the capitalization of these
entities. We may in the future provide additional loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities in China in connection with any
increase in their capitalization to the extent necessary and permissible under applicable law. Our ability to ultimately collect these loans will depend on
the profitability of these consolidated affiliated entities and their operational needs, which are uncertain. As of the date of this annual report, we do not
have any repayment schedule with respect to such loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities.
We are in the process of registering the pledges of equity interests by nominee shareholders of some of our consolidated affiliated entities, and we
may not be able to enforce the equity pledges against any third parties who acquire the equity interests in good faith in the relevant consolidated
affiliated entities before the pledges are registered.
Pursuant to equity pledge agreements under the contractual arrangements, the nominee shareholders of each of our consolidated affiliated entities
should pledge all of their equity interests in the relevant consolidated affiliated entities to our subsidiaries. An equity pledge agreement becomes
effective among the parties upon execution. However, according to the Civil Code which became effective from January 1, 2021, an equity pledge is not
perfected as a security property right unless it is registered with the relevant local administration for market regulation. We are still in the process of
registering the pledge relating to certain consolidated affiliated entity(ies), relating to recent equity interest transfers and capital increase. Prior to the
completion of the registration, we may not be able to successfully enforce the equity pledge against any third parties who have acquired property right
interests in good faith in the equity interests in the relevant consolidated affiliated entity(ies).
If the chops of our PRC subsidiaries and our consolidated affiliated entities are not kept safely, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for
unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised.
In China, a company chop or seal serves as the legal representation of the company towards third parties even when unaccompanied by a
signature. Each legally registered company in China is required to maintain a company chop, which must be registered with the local Public Security
Bureau. In addition to this mandatory
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company chop, companies may have several other chops which can be used for specific purposes. The chops of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated
affiliated entities are generally held securely by personnel designated or approved by us in accordance with our internal control procedures. To the extent
those chops are not kept safely, are stolen or are used by unauthorized persons or for unauthorized purposes, the corporate governance of these entities
could be severely and adversely compromised and those corporate entities may be bound to abide by the terms of any documents so chopped, even if
they were chopped by an individual who lacked the requisite power and authority to do so. In addition, if the chops are misused by unauthorized
persons, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve
significant time and resources to resolve while distracting management from our operations.
Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our business and
operations.
Most of our business operations are conducted in China. Accordingly, our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects are
affected by economic, political and social conditions in China generally and by continued economic growth in China as a whole.
China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the extent of government involvement, level
of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. In recent decades, the Chinese government has implemented a
series of reform measures, including among others, emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform and the establishment of improved
corporate governance in business enterprises. Meanwhile, a considerable portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In
addition, the Chinese government also plays a significant role in regulating industry development and has extensive influence over China’s economic
growth through allocating resources, foreign exchange control, and setting monetary and fiscal policy.
Growth of China’s economy has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and the growth of the Chinese
economy has slowed down in recent years. Some of the government measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy, but may 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. Any stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely
affect our results of operations and financial condition. For example, certain operating costs and expenses, such as employee compensation and office
operating expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial portion of our assets consists of cash and cash
equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments, high inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing power of these assets.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.
We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China. Our operations in China are governed by
PRC laws and regulations. Our subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China. The PRC legal
system is based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China for the past
decades. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all
aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, because these laws and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited volume of
published decisions and their nonbinding nature, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties.
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Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis
or at all. As a result, we may not be aware of our potential violation of these policies and rules. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in
China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
PRC government has significant oversight over the conduct of our business and it has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight over
offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. Any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder
our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulations of internet and related business and companies.
The PRC government regulates the internet and related industry extensively, including foreign ownership of, and the licensing and permit
requirements pertaining to, companies in the internet industry. These internet-related laws and regulations are relatively new and rapidly evolving, and
thus their interpretation and enforcement, and under certain circumstances, the compliance requirements still involve significant uncertainties. For
example, we only have contractual control over our websites. We do not own the websites due to the restriction of foreign investment in businesses
providing value-added telecommunications services in China, including online information services.
The licensing requirements relating to the internet business in China are uncertain and evolving. This means that permits, licenses or operations at
some of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities may be subject to challenge, or we may not be able to obtain or renew certain permits
or licenses, including, without limitation, a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License, which is issued by the MIIT, an Internet
News License, which is issued by the CAC, a Short Messaging Service Access Code Certificate, which is issued by the MIIT, an Online Audio/Video
Program Transmission License, which is issued by the State Administration of Press Publication, Radio, Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT (the
corresponding regulatory body currently known as National Radio and Television Administration, or the NRTA), a Radio and Television Program
Production License, which is issued by the local bureau of the NRTA, a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services,
which is issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information, an Internet Culture Business Permit with or without the
permitted scope of business covering online game operation and online game virtual currency issuance or trading, which is issued by the local bureau of
the then Ministry of Culture, or the Ministry of Culture and Tourism which has replaced the Ministry of Culture, an Internet Publication Service License,
which is issued by the SAPPRFT (the corresponding regulatory body currently known as the National Press and Publication Administration, or the
NPPA), a Publication Business Operating License, which is issued by the local bureau of the SAPPRFT or NPPA, a Qualification Certificate for Internet
Drug Information Services, which is issued by provincial branch of the State Food and Drug Administration (the corresponding regulatory body
currently known as the National Medical Products Administration), a Human Resource Services License, which is issued by the local bureau of the
Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, a Filing Certificate for the Online Transaction Platform, which is issued by Beijing News and
Publications Bureau, a Filing Certificate for Business of Category II Medical Devices, which is issued by Haidian Branch of Beijing Administration for
Market Regulation, a Registration Certificate for Medical Devices, which is issued by Beijing Medical Products Administration, a Food Business
License, which is issued by Zengcheng Branch of Guangzhou Administration for Market Regulation, a Medicine Business License, which is issued by
Guangdong Medical Products Administration, a Filing Certificate for the Publication Online Transaction Platform, which is issued by Shanghai News
and Publications Bureau, an Internet Domain Name Services License, which is issued by Beijing Communications Administration, and a License for
Pilot Operation of Commercial Autonomous Transportation Services, which is issued by the Office of Beijing High-level Autonomous Driving
Demonstration Zone. Violation of relevant laws and regulations governing these licenses, approvals, filings or qualifications may result in penalties and
even suspension or revocation of the licenses, approvals, filings or qualifications. Failure to obtain, maintain or renew
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these permits and licenses may significantly disrupt our business, or subject us to sanctions, requirements to increase capital or other conditions or
enforcement, or compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other harmful effects on us.
New laws and regulations may be promulgated to regulate internet activities, including online advertising and internet cultural activities. Other
aspects of our online operations may be further regulated in the future. If these new laws and regulations are promulgated, additional licenses may be
required for our online operations. If our operations do not comply with these new regulations at the time they become effective, or if we fail to obtain
any licenses required under these new laws and regulations, we could be subject to penalties.
We provide value-added telecommunications services through our consolidated affiliated entities, which hold the required licenses. In July 2006,
the MIIT issued the Notice of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-
Added Telecommunications Services. This notice prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling
telecommunication business operating licenses to any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor
for their illegal operation of a telecommunication business in China. According to this notice, either the holder of a Value-Added Telecommunication
Business Operating License or its shareholders must directly own the domain names and trademarks used by the license holder in its provision of value-
added telecommunications services. Our major consolidated affiliated entities hold the necessary assets that are material to the operation of our business,
including domain names, personnel, facilities and most of our intellectual property rights.
As we enter into new businesses, we may encounter additional regulatory uncertainties. For example, the current PRC legal framework on
autonomous cars or autonomous driving is relatively new and evolving. Pursuant to the local rules and regulations in various cities including Beijing,
Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Cangzhou and other cities, any entity intending to conduct a road testing of autonomous driving vehicles in these
cities must file an application for road testing with a designated local agency supervising road testing of autonomous vehicles in these cities. It also
remains uncertain what additional compliance requirements we need to meet in order to undertake a road testing of our autonomous driving cars in other
locations in China. Baidu has obtained permits to conduct road testing in certain regions or cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Yangquan, Shanghai,
Changsha, Tianjin, Wuhan and Chongqing. There is no guarantee that the road testing of our autonomous driving cars in other locations fully complies
with local laws and regulations. If our road testing is deemed by local enforcement authority as a violation of the applicable traffic and transportation
laws, we may have to suspend the testing, and the progress of our research and development of autonomous cars may be adversely affected.
The interpretation and application of existing PRC laws, regulations and policies and possible new laws, regulations or policies relating to the
internet industry have created substantial uncertainties regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and
activities of, internet businesses in China, including our business.
The PRC government’s significant oversight over our business operation could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value
of our ADSs.
We conduct our business primarily through our consolidated affiliated entities and our consolidated affiliated entities’ subsidiaries in China. Our
operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has significant oversight over the conduct of our business, and it
may influence our operations, which could result in a material adverse change in our operation and/or the value of our ADSs. Also, the PRC government
has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based
issuers. For example, on July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities made public the Opinions on Strictly Scrutinizing Illegal Securities
Activities in Accordance with the Law, or the Opinions. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration
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over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-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 China-based overseas-listed companies. On
December 28, 2021, the CAC issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021, which required that, among others, network platform operators holding
over one million users’ personal information shall apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before any public offering in a
foreign country. On November 14, 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on the Network Data Security, or the Draft Regulations, for public
comments, which stipulates, among others, that a prior cybersecurity review is required for listing abroad of data processors which process over one
million users’ personal information, and the listing of data processors in Hong Kong which affects or may affect national security. Since the Draft
Regulations are in the process of being formulated and the Opinions and the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 remain unclear on how it will be
interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant PRC governmental authorities, it remains uncertain how PRC governmental authorities will
regulate overseas listing in general and whether we are required to obtain any specific regulatory approvals from the CSRC, CAC or any other PRC
governmental authorities for our offshore offerings. If the CSRC, CAC or other regulatory agencies later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring
that we obtain their approvals for our future offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain such approvals in a timely manner, or at all, and such
approvals may be rescinded even if obtained. Any such circumstance could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer
securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. In addition, implementation of industry-wide
regulations directly targeting our operations could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline. Therefore, investors of our company and our
business face potential uncertainty from actions taken by the PRC government affecting our business.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with the enacted Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms and other anti-monopoly laws
and regulations may result in governmental investigations or enforcement actions, litigation or claims against us and could have an adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The PRC anti-monopoly enforcement agencies have in recent years strengthened enforcement under the PRC Anti-monopoly Law. In March
2018, the SAMR was formed as a new governmental agency to take over, among other things, the anti-monopoly enforcement functions from the
relevant departments under the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, the NDRC and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (now the
SAMR), respectively. Since its inception, the SAMR has continued to strengthen anti-monopoly enforcement. In November, 2021, the National Anti-
monopoly Bureau was inaugurated by the State Council, which aims to further implement the fair competition policies, and strengthen anti-monopoly
supervision in the PRC, especially to strengthen oversight and law enforcement in areas involving platform economy, innovation, science and
technology, information security and people’s livelihood.
In September 2020, the SAMR issued Anti-monopoly Compliance Guideline for Operators, which encourages, under the PRC Anti-monopoly
Law, operators to establish anti-monopoly compliance management systems to prevent anti-monopoly compliance risks. In particular, on February 7,
2021, the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council officially promulgated Guidelines to Anti-Monopoly in the Field of Internet Platforms, or the
Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms. Pursuant to an official interpretation from the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council, the
Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms mainly covers five aspects, including general provisions, monopoly agreements, abuse of market
dominance, concentration of undertakings, and abuse of administrative powers that eliminate or restrict competition. The Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for
Internet Platforms prohibits certain monopolistic acts of internet platforms so as to protect market competition and safeguard interests of consumers and
undertakings participating in internet platform economy, including without limitation, prohibiting companies with dominant position from abusing their
market dominance (such as discriminating customers in terms of pricing and other transactional conditions using big data and analytics, coercing
counterparties into exclusivity arrangements through entering into written or oral agreements or using technologies to block competitors’ interface or
reduce positions in search results of
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goods displays, using bundle services to sell different services or products, compulsory collection of unnecessary user data). In addition, the Anti-
Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms also reinforces anti-monopoly merger review for internet platform related transactions to safeguard market
competition. In practice, the PRC governmental authority also strengthens the supervision of monopoly and other unfair competition acts, and requests
to establish a new order of the platform economy. In April 2021, the SAMR, together with certain other PRC government authorities convened an
administrative guidance meeting, focusing on the problem of requiring the operators on the platform to choose “one out of two” competitive platforms
and other prominent problems, requesting major internet companies to conduct self-inspection and rectification on the activities which may violate anti-
monopoly, anti-unfair competition, tax and other related laws and regulations, to comply with relevant laws and regulations strictly and to be subject to
public supervision. In addition, many internet companies, including the over 30 companies which attended such administrative guidance meeting, are
required to conduct a comprehensive self-inspection and make necessary rectification accordingly. The SAMR has stated it will organize and conduct
inspections on the companies’ rectification results. If the companies are found to conduct illegal activities, more severe penalties are expected to be
imposed on them in accordance with the laws. As of the date of this annual report, we have completed such self-inspection and have not received any
further inquiry from the relevant governmental authorities. As the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms was newly promulgated, we are
unable to estimate its specific impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We cannot assure you that our business
operations comply with such regulations and authorities’ requirements in all respects. If any non-compliance is raised by relevant authorities and
determined against us, we may be subject to fines and other penalties.
To our knowledge, there had been few precedents where internet companies with a VIE structure were investigated for being involved in the
concentrations of undertaking before year of 2020. It had been long debated whether transactions involving internet companies with a VIE structure are
subject to prior filing of notification requirements, since filing of notification of concentration of undertaking made by some internet companies were
not accepted in the past. Due to such regulatory history in the industry and as a matter of common industry practice in the past, we did not file prior
notification of concentrations of undertaking. However, since 2020, the SAMR has indicated a change of its regulatory practice in this regard by
publishing cases of concentration of undertaking involving a VIE structure, explicit inclusion for the first time of the filing requirement for
concentrations involving a VIE structure in the anti-monopoly regulations and rules and penalizing certain internet companies with a VIE structure for
failure to file prior notifications of implementing concentrations. Hence, starting from 2020, the SAMR has been reviewing historical cases of
concentrations of undertaking of internet companies with a VIE structure, and past failure to file prior notification of concentrations of undertaking may
be investigated and penalized.
We have received enquiries from the SAMR related to failure to file prior notification of concentrations of undertaking, and with respect to certain
past transactions for which we failed to file the prior notification, we have been fined with an amount of RMB500,000 for each case. There can be no
assurance that we will not be subject to more enquiries or penalties in the future. If the anti-monopoly authority determines we, in the past or in the
future, have failed to file other concentrations which are subject to the prior notification, we may be subject to penalty, including fines up to
RMB500,000 per case, and in extreme case being ordered to terminate the contemplated concentration, to dispose of our equity or asset within a
prescribed period, to transfer our business within a prescribed time or to take any other necessary measures to restore to the pre-concentration status. On
October 23, 2021, the Standing Committee issued a second draft amendment to the amended Anti-Monopoly Law for public comments, which proposes
to increase the fines on business operators for illegal concentration to “no more than ten percent of the preceding year’s sales revenue of the business
operators if the concentration of business operators has or may have an effect of excluding or limiting competition; or a fine of up to RMB5 million if
the concentration of business operators does not have an effect of excluding or limiting competition.” The draft also proposes for the relevant authority
to investigate any concentration where there is evidence that such concentration has or may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition,
even if such concentration does not reach the filing threshold.
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Due to the enhanced enforcement of the Anti-Monopoly Law, we may receive greater scrutiny and attention from regulators and more frequent
and rigid investigation or review by regulators, which will increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges. In addition,
there are significant uncertainties on the evolving legislative activities and varied local implementation practices of anti-monopoly and competition laws
and regulations in China, especially with respect to the enactment timetable, final content, interpretation and implementation of the amended Anti-
Monopoly Law. If it is enacted as proposed, it will impose a higher regulatory requirement to complete an acquisition transaction. We may have to spend
much more personnel cost and time evaluating and managing these risks and challenges in connection with our products and services as well as our
investments in our ordinary business course to avoid any failure to comply with these regulations. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with
the enacted Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms and other anti-monopoly laws and regulations may result in governmental investigations
or enforcement actions, lawsuits or claims against us and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to governmental economic sanctions or export control laws.
We are subject to various economic and trade sanctions laws in different jurisdictions. For example, U.S. economic sanctions prohibit the
provision of products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions, including specific license requirements for the
export, re-export and/or transfer of specified items. United Kingdom financial sanctions and European Union sanctions also have similar regime to
prohibit the provision of products and services to countries, governments and persons on their respective target list.
In August 2020, MOFCOM and the Ministry of Technology jointly promulgated a notice to adjust and pronounce the Catalog of Technologies
Prohibited or Restricted from Export of the PRC, which has provided that certain technologies on interactive interface of AI (including voice
recognition, microphone array, voice wake-up and interactive understanding) could be restricted for export from the PRC without approval. According
to the Administrative Measures on the Import and Export of Technologies of the PRC, which was recently revised by the State Council in November
2020, if we would like to conduct any type of cross-border technology service or cooperation involving certain AI technologies which are or may be
(subject to determination by the relevant governmental authority) restricted from export, we would be required to apply for approval from the provincial
competent commercial department before entering into any substantial stage of negotiation or execution of any technology export contract. If and after
such contract is executed, we shall apply for an export certificate and such contract would only come into effect after the competent commercial
department has granted us the permit. Such process may be time consuming and there is no guarantee that such permit would always be granted, which
could negatively affect our potential cross-border technology service or cooperation.
While we believe that we have been, and that we continue to be, in compliance with applicable governmental economic sanctions or export
control laws, our failure to employ appropriate safeguards with respect to users located in countries that are targets of governmental economic sanctions
or export control may result in a violation of such laws and regulations. Non-compliance with applicable governmental economic sanctions or export
control laws could subject us to adverse media coverage, investigations, severe administrative, civil and possibly criminal sanctions, and expenses
related to remedial measures and legal expenses, which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects.
There are uncertainties associated with PRC laws and regulations on virtual assets, and therefore it is not clear what liabilities, if any, we may have
relating to the loss of virtual assets by our users.
While participating on our platform, our users may acquire, purchase and accumulate certain virtual assets, such as gifts or certain statuses and
privileges. Such virtual assets can be important to users and have monetary value and, in some cases, can be cashed to actual money. However, virtual
assets may become lost for various
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reasons, often through unauthorized use of the account of one user by other users and occasionally through data loss caused by delays in network
service, network crashes or hacking activities. Currently, there are uncertainties associated with PRC laws and regulations on virtual assets. As a result,
uncertainties still exist as to who the legal owner of virtual assets is, whether and how the ownership of virtual assets is protected by law, and whether an
operator of a platform would have any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, to users or other interested parties, for loss of such virtual assets.
Some recent PRC court judgments ordered certain online platform operators liable for losses of virtual assets by platform users, and have ordered online
platform operators to restore the lost virtual items to users or pay damages and losses. In case of a loss of virtual assets, we may be sued by our users and
held liable for losses, which may negatively affect our reputation, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We have been
involved in virtual items related lawsuits in the past, and we cannot assure you that such lawsuits will not be brought against us again in the future.
Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the new PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation
Regulations and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
On January 1, 2020, the PRC Foreign Investment Law, or the Foreign Investment Law, and the Regulations for Implementation of the Foreign
Investment Law of the People’s Republic of China, or the Implementation Regulations, came into effect and replaced the trio of prior laws regulating
foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law
and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law and
the Implementation Regulations embody an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing
international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since they
are relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to their interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law,
“foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China.
Though it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via
contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities under the definition in the future. In addition, the
definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative
regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions
promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain
whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws
and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken
by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a
timely manner, or at all.
If any of our consolidated affiliated entities would be deemed as foreign invested enterprise under any such future laws, administrative regulations
or provisions and any of our business would be included in any negative list or other form of restrictions on foreign investment, we may need to take
further actions to comply with such future laws, administrative regulations or provisions. Such actions may have a material and adverse impact on our
business, financial condition, result of operations and prospects. If we or any of our consolidated affiliated entities is found to be in violation of any
existing or future PRC laws, administrative regulations or provisions, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant
PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take corresponding action regarding such violations or failures to such entities, such as:
•
•
order to immediately terminate prohibited investment activities and to take certain measures to return to the pre-investment status;
order to rectify within prescribed period and to take necessary measures to comply with such laws, administrative regulations or
provisions;
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•
•
•
•
revocation of such entities’ business licenses and/or operating licenses;
shutting down of our website, or discontinuance or restriction on any transactions between certain of our PRC subsidiaries with them;
fines, confiscation of the income from our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities, or other requirements with which we or our
consolidated affiliated entities may not be able to comply;
order to restructure our ownership structure, corporate governance and business operations, including terminating the contractual
arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and deregistering the equity pledges of our consolidated affiliated entities, which in
turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or impose effective control over our consolidated affiliated
entities; or
•
restriction or prohibition on our use of the proceeds of any financing outside PRC to finance our business operations in PRC, and other
regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.
Any of the above penalties may result in a material and adverse effect on our business operation. In addition, if the PRC regulatory authorities
were to find our legal structure and contractual arrangements to be in violation of any PRC laws, administrative regulations or provisions, we are
uncertain what impact of above PRC regulatory authorities’ actions would have on us and our ability to consolidate our consolidated affiliated entities in
the consolidated financial statement. If any of these regulatory actions result in us losing our right to direct the activities of our consolidated affiliated
entities or to receive substantially all the economic benefits and residual returns from our consolidated affiliated entities and we are not able to
restructure our ownership structure and operations in a satisfactory manner, we would no longer be able to consolidate the financial results of our
consolidated affiliated entities in the consolidated financial statements. Any of the above results, or any other significant unfavorable actions that might
be imposed on us in this event, would have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Failure to take
timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current
corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.
It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or
practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations
or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory
authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory
authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article
177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct
investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177
have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within
China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests. See also “—Risks Related to Our ADSs and Class A Ordinary Shares—
Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.” for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands
company.
We may be subject to liability for information displayed on or linked to our websites, mobile apps, Smart Mini Program or Managed Page and
negative publicity in international media and our business may be adversely affected as a result.
The PRC government has adopted regulations governing internet access and distribution of news and other information over the internet. Under
these regulations, internet content providers and internet publishers are
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prohibited from posting or displaying over the internet content that, among other things, violates PRC laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity
of China, contains terrorism or extremism content, or is reactionary, obscene, superstitious, fraudulent or defamatory. Failure to comply with these
requirements may result in the revocation of licenses to provide internet content and other licenses and the closure of the concerned websites. In the past,
failure to comply with these requirements has resulted in the closure of certain websites. The website operator may also be held liable for the
information displayed on or linked to the website or the mobile apps.
In particular, the MIIT, has published regulations that subject website operators to potential liability for content displayed on their websites or
mobile apps and the actions of users and others using their systems, including liability for violations of PRC laws and regulations prohibiting the
dissemination of content deemed to be socially destabilizing. The Ministry of Public Security has the authority to order any local internet service
provider to block any internet website at its sole discretion. From time to time, the Ministry of Public Security has stopped the dissemination over the
internet of information which it believes to be socially destabilizing. The State Secrecy Bureau is also authorized to block any website it deems to be
leaking state secrets or failing to meet the relevant regulations relating to the protection of state secrets in the dissemination of online information.
Furthermore, we are required to report any suspicious content to relevant governmental authorities, and to undergo computer security inspections. If we
fail to implement the relevant safeguards against security breaches, our websites may be shut down and our business and ICP licenses may be revoked.
In addition, the CAC has, from time to time, also issued rules enhancing the internet service provider’s obligations to monitor information displayed on
its information platform and prevent dissemination of illegal contents. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations
—Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunications Services and Internet Content Services—Regulations on Content.”
The Anti-Terrorism Law, which took effect on January 1, 2016 and was amended on April 27, 2018, further requires internet service providers to
verify the identity of their users, and to not provide services to anyone whose identity is unclear or who declines verification. Although the identity
verification requirements are already embodied in some internet related regulations, the Anti-Terrorism Law extends these requirements to all types of
internet services. The internet service providers are also required to provide technical interfaces, decryption and other technical support and assistance
for the competent departments to prevent and investigate terrorist activities. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—
Regulations—Regulations on Information Security.” for more details.
Although we attempt to monitor the content in our search results, mobile apps, online communities such as Baidu Post, Smart Mini Programs and
Managed Page, we are not able to control or restrict the content of other internet content providers linked to or accessible through our websites, mobile
apps, or content generated or placed on our Baidu Post message boards, mini programs, Managed Page, or our other online communities by our users.
To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content displayed on our websites or mobile apps illegal, they may require us to limit or eliminate
the dissemination of such information on our websites or mobile apps. To the extent that PRC regulatory authorities find any content displayed on our
websites or mobile apps objectionable, they may suggest that we limit or eliminate the dissemination of such information on our websites or mobile
apps. If third-party websites linked to or accessible through our websites or mini programs accessible through our mobile apps conduct unlawful
activities such as online gambling, PRC regulatory authorities may require us to report such unlawful activities to relevant authorities and to remove the
links to such websites or mobile apps, or they may suspend or shut down the operation of these third-party websites. PRC regulatory authorities may
also temporarily block access to certain websites or mobile apps for a period of time for reasons beyond our control. Any of these actions may reduce
our user traffic and adversely affect our business. In addition, we have been and may be subject to penalties in the future for violations of those
regulations arising from information displayed on or linked to our websites or mobile apps, including a suspension or shutdown of our online operations.
For example, in April 2020, we were approached and inquired by the CAC with respect to the display and dissemination of vulgar contents and
insufficient content monitoring on the public accounts on Baidu App. As a consequence, our Baidu App was ordered to suspend any updates for over
two weeks before updates resumed to normal. Although we will make our best efforts to closely monitor
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and filter the contents displayed and disseminated on our Baidu App and other products, we cannot assure you that incidents of similar type would not
take place in the future.
Moreover, our compliance with PRC regulations governing internet access and distribution of news and other information over the internet may
subject us to negative publicity or even legal actions outside of China. In May 2011, eight New York residents filed a lawsuit against us before the U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New York accusing us of aiding Chinese censorship in violation of the U.S. Constitution. In March 2014, the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted our motion for judgment on the pleadings based upon the First Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution and dismissed with prejudice the plaintiffs’ complaint in its entirety, barring the plaintiffs from bringing an appeal or action based on the
same claim. Even though we have won the case, our reputation may continually be adversely affected among users and investors outside of China.
The discontinuation of any of the preferential income tax treatments currently available to us in the PRC could have a material and adverse effect
on our result of operations and financial condition.
Pursuant to the EIT Law, as further clarified by subsequent tax regulations implementing the EIT Law, foreign-invested enterprises and domestic
enterprises are subject to EIT at a uniform rate of 25%. Certain enterprises may benefit from a preferential tax rate of 15% under the EIT Law if they
qualify as “High and New Technology Enterprises strongly supported by the state,” subject to certain general factors described in the EIT Law and the
related regulations. Furthermore, an enterprise can claim a 150% super deduction for eligible research and development expenses (a 175% super
deduction from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2023).
A number of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are entitled to enjoy a preferential tax rate of 15% due to their qualification
as “High and New Technology Enterprise,” which are subject to renewal every three years and their current preferential treatment under such “High and
New Technology Enterprise” certificates will expire in 2022 and 2023. If any or some of these PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities fail
to maintain the “High and New Technology Enterprise” qualification, their applicable EIT rate will increase to 25%. Certain of our PRC subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities enjoy a 175% super deduction for eligible research and development expenses. However, there is no assurance that the
175% super deduction preferential policy will continue after 2023.
The discontinuation of any of the above-mentioned preferential income tax treatments currently available to us in the PRC could have a material
and adverse effect on our result of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain our current effective tax rate
in the future.
If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute dividends to their respective offshore parent companies, we will be required to pay more taxes, which
could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations.
Under the EIT Law and related regulations, dividends, interests, rent or royalties payable by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC
subsidiaries, to any of its foreign non-resident enterprise investors, and proceeds from any such foreign enterprise investor’s disposition of assets (after
deducting the net value of such assets) are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless the foreign enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a
tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax. Undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1,
2008 are exempted from any withholding tax. The British Virgin Islands, where Baidu Holdings Limited, the direct parent company of our PRC
subsidiaries Baidu Online and Baidu International, is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China. Hong Kong has a tax arrangement with
China that provides for a 5% withholding tax on dividends subject to certain conditions and requirements, such as the requirement that the Hong Kong
resident enterprise own at least 25% of the PRC enterprise distributing the dividend at all times within the 12-month period immediately preceding the
distribution of dividends and be a “beneficial owner” of the dividends. For example, Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, which directly owns our PRC
subsidiaries Baidu China and Baidu Times, is incorporated in Hong Kong.
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However, if Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited is not considered to be a Hong Kong tax resident enterprise or the beneficial owner of dividends paid or
to be paid to it by Baidu China and Baidu Times under the tax circulars promulgated in February 2009 and 2018, such dividends would be subject to
withholding tax at a rate of 10%. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Taxation—PRC Enterprise
Income Tax.” If our PRC subsidiaries further declare and distribute profits earned after January 1, 2008 to us in the future, such payments will be subject
to withholding tax, which will further increase our tax liability and reduce the amount of cash available to our company.
We may be deemed a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, which could subject us to PRC taxation on our global income, and which may
have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.
Under the EIT Law and related regulations, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management body” within the PRC is
considered a PRC resident enterprise and is subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income as well as PRC EIT reporting obligations. The
related regulations define the term “de facto management body” as “the establishment that exercises substantial and overall management and control
over the production, business, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise.” The State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Regarding
the Determination of Chinese-Controlled Offshore-Incorporated Enterprises as PRC Tax Resident Enterprises on the basis of de facto management
bodies, issued on April 22, 2009 and further amended on December 29, 2017, or the SAT Circular 82 in April 2009, which provides certain specific
criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise is located in China. The State
Administration of Taxation issued additional rules to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 in July 2011, and issued an
amendment to SAT Circular 82 delegating the authority to its provincial branches to determine whether a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated
enterprise should be considered a PRC resident enterprise, in January 2014. See “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating
Results—Taxation—PRC Enterprise Income Tax.” Although the SAT Circular 82, the additional guidance and amendment apply only to overseas
registered enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises, not to those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in SAT Circular 82
may reflect the State Administration of Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the
tax resident status of offshore enterprises, regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises or individuals. If we are deemed a PRC resident
enterprise, we may be subject to the EIT at 25% on our global income, except that the dividends we receive from our PRC subsidiaries may be exempt
from the EIT to the extent such dividends are deemed as “dividends among qualified PRC resident enterprises.” If we are deemed a PRC resident
enterprise and earn income other than dividends from our PRC subsidiaries, a 25% EIT on our global income could significantly increase our tax burden
and materially and adversely affect our cash flow and profitability.
Under PRC tax laws, dividends payable by us and gains on the disposition of our shares or ADSs may be subject to PRC taxation.
If we are considered a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, our shareholders and ADS holders who are deemed non-resident enterprises
may be subject to the EIT at the rate of 10% upon the dividends payable by us or upon any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, if
such income is deemed derived from China; provided that (i) such foreign enterprise investor has no establishment or premises in China, or (ii) it has
establishment or premises in China but its income derived from China has no real connection with such establishment or premises. If we are required
under the EIT Law to withhold PRC income tax on our dividends payable to our non-PRC resident enterprise shareholders and ADS holders, or if any
gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs by our non-PRC resident enterprise shareholders and ADS holders are subject to the EIT, your
investment in our shares or ADSs could be materially and adversely affected.
Furthermore, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise and relevant PRC tax authorities consider dividends we pay with respect to our shares
or ADSs and the gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs to be income derived from sources within the PRC, it is possible that such
dividends and gains earned by
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non-resident individuals may be subject to PRC individual income tax at a rate of 20%. If we are required under PRC tax laws to withhold PRC income
tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC investors that are non-resident individuals or if you are required to pay PRC income tax on the transfer of our
shares or ADSs, the value of your investment in our shares or ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.
Our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are subject to restrictions on paying dividends and making other payments to our
holding company.
Baidu, Inc. is our holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. As a result of the holding company structure, it currently relies on
dividend payments from our subsidiaries in China. However, PRC regulations currently permit payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits, as
determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in China are also required
to set aside a portion of their after-tax profits according to PRC accounting standards and regulations to fund certain reserve funds. The PRC
government also imposes controls on the conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of foreign currencies out of China. We may
experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency. See “—Governmental control of
currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.” Furthermore, if our subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities in China incur debt on
their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments. If our subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities in China are unable to pay dividends or make other payments to us, we may be unable to pay dividends on our ordinary
shares and ADSs.
Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of foreign
currency out of China. We receive most of our revenues in RMB. Under our current structure, our income at the Cayman Islands holding company level
will primarily be derived from dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of
our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to us, or otherwise
satisfy their foreign currency denominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including
profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from
the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to
be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies.
The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange
control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currency to satisfy our currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign
currencies to our shareholders or ADS holders.
PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion
may delay or prevent us from making loans to our PRC subsidiaries, consolidated affiliated entities and certain related parties, or making additional
capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.
Baidu, Inc. is our offshore holding company conducting operations in China through our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities. We
may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities, or we may make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries.
Loans by Baidu, Inc. or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, or to
our consolidated affiliated entities are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. Such loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities to finance their activities cannot exceed a statutory upper limit and must be filed with SAFE through the online filing
system of
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SAFE pursuant to the applicable PRC regulations. We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiaries by means of capital contributions, in which case
the PRC subsidiary is required to register the details of the capital contribution with the local branch of SAMR and submit a report on the capital
contribution via the online enterprise registration system to the Ministry of Commerce. Meanwhile, we are not likely to finance the activities of our
consolidated affiliated entities by means of capital contributions given the PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership of internet, value-added
telecommunication-based online marketing, online audio and video services and mobile app distribution businesses. We have also entered into several
loan agreements with Du Xiaoman, our related party. Please refer to “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—B. Related Party
Transactions—Loan transactions with Du Xiaoman”.
In May 2014, SAFE promulgated the Provisions on the Foreign Exchange Administration Rules on Cross-border Guarantee, which, along with the
PRC Foreign Currency Administration Rules, provides that failure to register a cross-border guarantee may subject the violator to order to rectify,
warning and a fine no more than RMB300,000. In June 2016, SAFE promulgated SAFE Circular No. 16, which removed certain restrictions previously
provided under several SAFE circulars, including SAFE Circular No. 19, in respect of conversion by a foreign-invested enterprise of foreign currency
registered capital into RMB and use of such RMB capital. However, SAFE Circular No. 16 continues to prohibit foreign-invested enterprises from,
among other things, using RMB fund converted from its foreign exchange capitals for expenditure beyond its business scope, and providing loans to
non-affiliated enterprises except as permitted in the business scope. On October 23, 2019, the SAFE issued the Circular on Further Promoting Cross-
border Trade and Investment Facilitation, or SAFE Circular 28. Among others, SAFE Circular 28 relaxes prior restrictions and allows foreign-invested
enterprises that do not have equity investments in their approved business scope to use their capital obtained from foreign exchange settlement to make
domestic equity investments as long as the investments are real and in compliance with the foreign investment-related laws and regulations.
In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies,
including SAFE Rules and Circulars referred to above, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or
filings on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to existing and future loans by us to our PRC subsidiaries, consolidated affiliated entities and certain
related parties or additional capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries, and conversion of such loans or capital contributions into RMB. If we
fail to complete such registrations or filings, our ability to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could
adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.
PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may limit our ability to inject capital into our
PRC subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us, or may otherwise adversely affect us.
The Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents to Engage in Financing and Inbound Investment
via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular No. 75, and a series of implementation rules and guidance issued by SAFE, including the
circular relating to operating procedures that came into effect in July 2011, require PRC residents and PRC corporate entities to register with local
branches of SAFE in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment in an overseas special purpose vehicle, or SPV, for the purposes of
overseas equity financing activities, and to update such registration in the event of any significant changes with respect to that offshore company. 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 No. 37, on July 4, 2014, which replaced the SAFE Circular No. 75. SAFE
Circular No. 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of 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 No. 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” The term “control” under SAFE Circular
No. 37 is broadly defined as the operation rights,
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beneficiary rights or decision-making rights acquired by the PRC residents in the offshore special purpose vehicles or PRC companies by such means as
acquisition, trust, proxy, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds or other arrangements. SAFE Circular No. 37 further requires amendment to the
registration in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the special purpose vehicle, such as changes in a PRC resident individual
shareholder, name or operation period; or 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. If the shareholders of the offshore holding
company who are PRC residents do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, the PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from
distributing their profits and proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the offshore company, and the offshore company
may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital to its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration and
amendment requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. On
February 28, 2015, SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment,
or SAFE Notice 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015. In accordance with SAFE Notice 13, entities and individuals are required to apply for
foreign exchange registration of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment, including those required under the SAFE Circular No. 37,
with qualified banks, instead of SAFE. The qualified banks, under the supervision of SAFE, directly examine the applications and conduct the
registration.
In addition, our shareholders who are PRC entities shall complete their overseas direct investment filings according to applicable laws and
regulations regarding the overseas direct investment by PRC entities, including certificates, filings or registrations with the MOFCOM and the NDRC,
or the local branch of the MOFCOM and NDRC based on the investment amount, invested industry or other factors thereof, and shall also update or
apply for amendment in respect to the certificates, filings or registrations in the event of any significant changes with respect to the offshore investment.
We have notified holders of ordinary shares of our company whom we know are PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch and update
their registrations as required under the SAFE regulations described above. We are aware that Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive
officer and principal shareholder, who is a PRC resident, has registered, and updated registration when required, with the relevant local SAFE branch.
We, however, cannot provide any assurances that all of our shareholders or ADS holders who are PRC residents will file all applicable registrations or
update previously filed registrations as required by these SAFE regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC resident shareholders to comply with the
registration procedures or other applicable PRC regulations may subject the PRC resident shareholders to fines and legal sanctions, restrict our cross-
border investment activities, or limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to or obtain foreign exchange-dominated loans from our
company.
As it is uncertain how the SAFE regulations described above will be interpreted or implemented, we cannot predict how these regulations will
affect our business operations or future strategy. For example, we may be subject to more stringent review and approval process with respect to our
foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our results of
operations and financial condition. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such
company will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the SAFE regulations. This may
restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.
Failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock ownership plans or share option plans may
subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.
In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals
Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Publicly-Listed
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Company, or the Stock Option Rule, replacing the earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rule, PRC residents who are
granted stock options by an overseas publicly listed company are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas publicly listed
company, to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC resident employees who have been granted stock options are
subject to these regulations. We have designated our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online to handle the registration and other procedures required by the Stock
Option Rule. However, if we or our PRC optionees fail to comply with these regulations on a timely basis, we or our PRC optionees and their local
employers may be subject to fines and legal sanctions.
PRC regulations establish complex procedures for some acquisitions conducted by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to
pursue growth through acquisitions in China.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August
2006 and amended in June 2009, among other things, established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition
activities by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. In addition, the Implementing Rules Concerning Security Review on the Mergers and
Acquisitions by Foreign Investors of Domestic Enterprises, or the Rules Concerning Security Review on M&A, issued by the Ministry of Commerce in
August 2011, specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors involved in “an industry related to national security” are subject to strict review
by the Ministry of Commerce, and prohibit any activities attempting to bypass such security review, including by structuring the transaction through a
proxy or contractual control arrangement. We believe that our business is not in an industry related to national security, but we cannot preclude the
possibility that the competent PRC government authorities may publish explanations contrary to our understanding or broaden the scope of such security
reviews in the future, in which case our future acquisitions and investment in the PRC, including those by way of entering into contractual control
arrangements with target entities, may be closely scrutinized or prohibited. Moreover, according to the Anti-Monopoly Law, the SMAR shall be notified
in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain filing thresholds are triggered. We may grow our business in part by directly acquiring
complementary businesses in China. Complying with the requirements of the laws and regulations mentioned above and other PRC regulations to
complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the SMAR, may delay or
inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share. Our ability to
expand our business or maintain or expand our market share through future acquisitions would as such be materially and adversely affected.
In December 2020, the NDRC and the Ministry of Commerce promulgated the Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investment, which
came into effect on January 18, 2021. See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign
Investment.” for more details. As these measures are recently promulgated, official guidance has not been issued by the designated office in charge of
such security review yet. At this stage, the interpretation of those measures remains unclear in many aspects such as what would constitute “important
information technology and internet services and products” and whether these measures may apply to foreign investment that is implemented or
completed before the enactment of these new measures. As our business may be deemed to constitute the foregoing circumstances, we cannot assure you
that our current business operations will remain fully compliant, or we can adapt our business operations to new regulatory requirements on a timely
basis, or at all.
The approval of and/or filing with the CSRC or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our offshore offerings under
PRC law, and, if required, we cannot predict whether or for how long we will be able to obtain such approval or complete such filing.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory
agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, requires an overseas special purpose vehicle formed for listing purposes through acquisitions of PRC domestic
companies and controlled by
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PRC persons or entities to obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas
stock exchange. The interpretation and application of the regulations remain unclear, and our offshore offerings may ultimately require approval of the
CSRC. If the CSRC approval is required, it is uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to obtain the approval and, even if we obtain such
CSRC approval, the approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining the CSRC approval for any of our offshore offerings, or a
rescission of such approval if obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions imposed by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities, which could
include fines and penalties on our operations in China, restrictions or limitations on our ability to pay dividends outside of China, and other forms of
sanctions that may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance
with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas
listings by China-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 China-based overseas-listed companies. As a follow-up, on December 24, 2021, the State Council issued a draft of
the Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Draft Provisions,
and the CSRC issued a draft of Administration Measures for the Filing of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Draft
Administration Measures, for public comments.
The Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures propose to establish a new filing-based regime to regulate overseas offerings of
stocks, depository receipts, convertible corporate bond, or other equity securities, and overseas listing of these securities for trading, by domestic
companies. According to the Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures, an overseas offering and listing by a domestic company, whether
directly or indirectly, shall be filed with the CSRC. Specifically, the examination and determination of an indirect offering and listing will be conducted
on a substance-over-form basis, and an offering and listing shall be considered as an indirect overseas offering and listing by a domestic company if the
issuer meets the following conditions: (i) the operating income, gross profit, total assets, or net assets of the domestic enterprise in the most recent fiscal
year was more than 50% of the relevant line item in the issuer’s audited consolidated financial statement for that year; and (ii) senior management
personnel responsible for business operations and management are mostly PRC citizens or are ordinarily resident in the PRC, and the main place of
business is in the PRC or carried out in the PRC. According to the Draft Administration Measures, the issuer or its affiliated domestic company, as the
case may be, shall file with the CSRC for its initial public offering, follow-on offering and other equivalent offering activities. Particularly, the issuer
shall submit the filing with respect to its initial public offering and listing within three business days after its initial filing of the listing application, and
submit the filing with respect to its follow-on offering within three business days after completion of the follow-on offering. Failure to comply with the
filing requirements may result in fines to the relevant domestic companies, suspension of their businesses, revocation of their business licenses and
operation permits and fines on the controlling shareholder and other responsible persons. The Draft Administration Measures also sets forth certain
regulatory red lines for overseas offerings and listings by domestic enterprises. For more details of the Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration
Measures, please refer to “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulation—Regulations on Overseas Offering and Listing.”
As of the date of this annual report, the Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures have been released for public comment only.
There are uncertainties as to whether the Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures would be further amended, revised or updated.
Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the enactment timetable and final content of the Draft Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures.
As the CSRC may formulate and publish guidelines for filings in the future, the Draft Administration Measures does not provide for detailed
requirements of the substance and form of the filing documents. In a Q&A released on its official website, the respondent CSRC official indicated that
the CSRS will start applying the filing requirements to new offerings and listings. Only new initial public offerings and refinancing by
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existing overseas listed Chinese companies will be required to go through the filing process. As for the filings for the existing companies, the regulator
will grant adequate transition period to complete their filing procedures. The Q&A also addressed the contractual arrangements and pointed out that if
complying with domestic laws and regulations, companies with VIE structure are eligible to list overseas after filing with the CSRC. Nevertheless, it
does not specify what relevant domestic laws and regulations are required to be complied with. Given the substantial uncertainties surrounding the latest
CSRC filing requirements at this stage, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the filings and fully comply with the relevant new rules on
a timely basis, if at all.
In addition, we cannot assure you that any new rules or regulations promulgated in the future will not impose additional requirements on us. If it is
determined in the future that approval and filing from the CSRC or other regulatory authorities or other procedures, including the cybersecurity review
under the Measures for Cybersecurity Review and the draft of Regulations on the Network Data Security, are required for our offshore offerings, it is
uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to obtain such approval or complete such filing procedures and any such approval or filing could be
rescinded or rejected. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining such approval or completing such filing procedures for our offshore offerings, or a
rescission of any such approval or filing if obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities for failure to
seek CSRC approval or filing or other government authorization for our offshore offerings. These regulatory authorities may impose fines and penalties
on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of
the proceeds from our offshore offerings into China or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition,
results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our listed securities. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities also may take
actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before settlement and delivery of the shares offered. Consequently, if
investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and
delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their
approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such
approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such approval
requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading price of our listed securities.
The PCAOB is currently unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the inability of the
PCAOB to conduct inspections over our auditor deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditor of
companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which
the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Since our auditor is located in China, a
jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities, our auditor is not currently
inspected by the PCAOB. As a result, we and investors in our ordinary shares or ADSs are deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The
inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes 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, which could cause investors and potential investors in our ADSs to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial
information and the quality of our financial statements.
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Our ADSs will be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCA Act in 2024 if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or fully investigate
auditors located in China, or as early as 2023 if proposed changes to the law are enacted. The delisting of our ADSs, or the threat of their being
delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.
The HFCA Act, which was signed into law on December 18, 2020, states that if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a
registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection for the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall
prohibit 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 is unable to inspect or investigate completely
registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong. The PCAOB identified our auditor as one of the registered public
accounting firms that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely. After we file this annual report on Form 20-F, we may be identified by
the SEC under the HFCA Act as having filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that cannot be inspected or investigated
completely by the PCAOB.
Whether the PCAOB will be able to conduct inspections of our auditor before the issuance of our financial statements on Form 20-F for the year
ending December 31, 2023 which is due by April 30, 2024, or at all, is subject to substantial uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our,
and our auditor’s control. If our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States, the impact on the market for our shares outside the
United States is highly uncertain, and there is no certainty we will be able to list on additional non-U.S. exchange to facilitate the trading in our
securities. Such a prohibition 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.
On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed a bill which would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the
prohibitions under the HFCA Act from three years to two. On February 4, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill which contained,
among other things, an identical provision. If this provision is enacted into law and the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for
triggering the prohibitions under the HFCA Act is reduced from three years to two, then our shares and ADSs could be prohibited from trading in the
United States as early as 2023.
Proceedings instituted by the SEC against certain PRC-based accounting firms, including the auditor of our consolidated financial statements
included in this annual report, could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.
In December 2012, the SEC brought administrative proceedings against five accounting firms in China, including the auditor of our consolidated
financial statements included in this annual report, alleging that they had refused to produce audit work papers and other documents related to certain
other China-based companies under investigation by the SEC. On January 22, 2014, an initial administrative law decision was issued, censuring these
accounting firms and suspending four of these firms from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The decision is neither final nor legally
effective unless and until reviewed and approved by the SEC. On February 12, 2014, four of these PRC-based accounting firms appealed to the SEC
against this decision. In February 2015, each of the four PRC-based accounting firms agreed to a censure and to pay a fine to the SEC to settle the
dispute and avoid suspension of their ability to practice before the SEC. The settlement requires the firms to follow detailed procedures to seek to
provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. If the firms fail to meet specified criteria, during a period of four years
starting from the settlement date, the SEC retains authority to impose a variety of additional remedial measures on the firms depending on the nature of
the failure. Additional remedies for any future noncompliance could include, as appropriate, an automatic six-month bar on a single firm’s performance
of certain audit work, commencement of additional proceedings against a firm, or in extreme cases the resumption of the current proceeding against all
four firms.
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The audit committee is aware of the policy restriction and regularly communicated with our independent auditor to ensure compliance. If
additional remedial measures are imposed on the China-based “big four” accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm,
in administrative proceedings brought by the SEC alleging the firms’ failure to meet specific criteria set by the SEC with respect to requests for the
production of documents, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act. The
settlement did not require the firms to admit to any violation of law and preserves the firms’ legal defenses in the event the administrative proceeding is
restarted.
In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with
major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which could result in financial
statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, including possible delisting. Moreover, any negative
news about the proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding China-based, United States-listed companies and the
market price of our ADSs may be adversely affected.
If the auditor of our consolidated financial statements included in this annual report were denied, even temporarily, the ability to practice before
the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our
financial statements could be determined not to be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act. Such a determination could ultimately lead
to our delisting from the Nasdaq Global Select Market or deregistration from the SEC, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively
terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.
Fluctuation in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China and by the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s
political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not
appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government
policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.
Our revenues and costs are mostly denominated in RMB. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially and adversely affect our cash flows,
revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we
need to convert U.S. dollars into RMB for our operations, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB
amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for
dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs, repaying our U.S. dollar denominated notes or other payment obligations or for other business purposes,
appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, appreciation or
depreciation in the value of the RMB relative to U.S. dollars would affect our financial results reported, regardless of any underlying change in our
business or results of operations, as RMB is our reporting currency. For example, an appreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar would result in foreign
currency translation losses for financial reporting purposes when we translate our U.S. dollar denominated financial assets into RMB, our reporting
currency, and foreign exchange losses reported in earnings for certain RMB denominated loans that overseas entities borrowed from our PRC entities.
Conversely, a depreciation of RMB against the U.S. dollar would result in foreign currency translation losses for financial reporting purposes when we
translate our U.S. dollar denominated notes and other indebtedness into RMB. Moreover, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar
may significantly reduce our earnings translated in the U.S. dollars, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ADSs.
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Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any
hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in
the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In
addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign
currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.
We face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.
Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in
the future.
In February 2015, the State Administration of Tax issued a Public Notice Regarding Certain Corporate Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of
Properties by Non-Tax Resident Enterprises, or Public Notice 7. Public Notice 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only indirect transfers but also
transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. Public Notice 7 also
brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of the taxable assets. Where a
non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas
holding company, the non-resident enterprise being the transferor, or the transferee, or the PRC entity which directly owned the taxable assets may
report to the relevant tax authority such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may re-characterize such
indirect transfer as a direct transfer of the equity interests in the PRC tax resident enterprise and other properties in China. As a result, gains derived
from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is
obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of up to 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. However,
Public Notice 7 provides safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. On
October 17, 2017, the State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues
Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017. SAT
Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of non-resident enterprise income tax. Pursuant to Public Notice 7 and SAT
Bulletin 37, both the transferor and the transferee may be subject to penalties under PRC tax laws if the transferee fails to withhold the taxes and the
transferor fails to pay the taxes.
We face uncertainties with respect to the reporting and consequences of private equity financing transactions, share exchange or other transactions
involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, or sale or purchase of shares in other non-PRC
resident companies or other taxable assets by us. Our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group may be subject to filing obligations or
being taxed if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferors in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding
obligations if our company and other non-resident enterprises in our group are transferees in such transactions, under Public Notice 7 and SAT Bulletin
37. For the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the
filing under Public Notice 7 and SAT Bulletin 37. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Public Notice 7 and SAT
Bulletin 37 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company
and other non-resident enterprises in our group should not be taxed under these circulars. The PRC tax authorities have the discretion under Public
Notice 7 and SAT Bulletin 37 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets
transferred and the cost of investment. If the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of the transactions under Public Notice 7 and
SAT Bulletin 37, our income tax costs associated with such transactions will be increased, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition
and results of operations. We have made acquisitions in the past and may conduct additional acquisitions in the future. We cannot assure you that the
PRC tax authorities will not, at their
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discretion, adjust any capital gains and impose tax return filing obligations on us or require us to provide assistance to them for the investigation of any
transactions we were involved in. Heightened scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential
acquisitions we may pursue in the future.
Risks Related to Our ADSs and Class A Ordinary Shares
The trading price of our ADSs and/or our Class A ordinary shares has been and is likely to continue to be volatile regardless of our operating
performance.
The trading price of our ADSs has been and is likely to continue to be volatile, and could fluctuate widely in response to a variety of factors, many
of which are beyond our control. Likewise, the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares can be volatile for similar or different reasons. Factors
impacting the price and trading volume of our listed securities include, but are not limited to, the following:
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly results of operations and changes or revisions of our expected results, as well as our
margins and profitability;
changes in financial estimates by securities research analysts;
conditions in internet search and online marketing markets;
changes in the operating performance or market valuations of other internet search or internet companies;
announcements by us or our competitors or other internet companies of new product-and-service offerings, acquisitions, strategic
partnerships, joint ventures, capital raisings or capital commitments;
success or failure of our new business initiatives or the development or growth of the new markets we enter into;
addition to or departure of key personnel;
public perception or negative news about our products or services or potential investments or acquisitions;
our share repurchase program;
fluctuations of exchange rates between RMB and the U.S. dollar;
litigation, government investigation or other legal or regulatory proceeding; and
general economic or political conditions in China or elsewhere in the world.
In addition, the stock market in general, and the performance and fluctuation of the market prices for internet-related companies and other
companies with operations mainly in China in particular, may affect the volatility in the prices of and trading volumes for our listed securities. The
securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in Hong Kong and/or the United States have experienced significant volatility
that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their
securities. The trading performances of these companies’ securities may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in Hong Kong
and/or the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our listed securities, regardless of our actual operating
performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate
structure or other matters of other Chinese companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies in general,
including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. In particular, the global financial crisis, the ensuing economic
recessions and deterioration in the credit market in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global
stock markets. These broad market and industry
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fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our listed securities. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in the price of our listed securities
may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted options or other equity incentives.
We adopt different practices as to certain matters as compared with many other companies primarily listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
We completed our public offering in Hong Kong in March 2021 and the trading of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
commenced on March 23, 2021 under the stock code “9888.” As a company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange pursuant to Chapter 19C of the
Hong Kong Listing Rules, we are not subject to certain provisions of the Hong Kong Listing Rules pursuant to Rule 19C.11, including, among others,
rules on notifiable transactions, connected transactions, share option schemes, content of financial statements as well as certain other continuing
obligations. In addition, in connection with the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, we have applied for a number
of waivers and/or exemptions from strict compliance with the Hong Kong Listing Rules, the SFO and the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous
Provisions) Ordinance and have applied for a ruling under the Takeovers Codes. As a result, we will adopt different practices as to those matters as
compared with other companies primarily listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange that do not enjoy those exemptions or waivers.
Furthermore, if 55% or more of the total worldwide trading volume, by dollar value, of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs over our most
recent fiscal year takes place on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will regard us as having a dual primary listing in
Hong Kong and we will no longer enjoy certain exemptions or waivers from strict compliance with the requirements under the Hong Kong Listing
Rules, the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance, the Takeovers Codes and the SFO, which could result in us having to
amend our corporate structure and articles of association and our incurring of incremental compliance costs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event
that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange deemed us as having a dual primary listing in Hong Kong, we will be permitted to retain our existing weighted
voting rights structure and our variable interest entity structure.
Substantial future sales or perceived potential sales of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs in the public market could cause the price of our
Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs to decline.
Sales of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price
of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs to decline. Such sales also might make it more difficult for us to sell equity or equity-related securities in
the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate. If any existing shareholder or shareholders sell a substantial amount of our Class A ordinary
shares and/or ADSs, the prevailing market price for our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs could be adversely affected. In addition, if we pay for our
future acquisitions in whole or in part with additionally issued ordinary shares, your ownership interests in our company would be diluted and this, in
turn, could have a material and adverse effect on the price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our
Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts
publish about us or our business. If research analysts do not maintain adequate research coverage or if one or more of the analysts who covers us
downgrades our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the market price for our
Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us
regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which, in turn, could cause the market price of or trading volume for our Class A ordinary
shares and/or ADSs to decline.
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Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our listed securities.
Short selling is the practice of selling securities that a 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. Short sellers hope 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 short sellers expect to pay less in that purchase than they received in the sale. As
it is in short sellers’ 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 have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market.
Public companies listed in the United States that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of short selling. Much of
the scrutiny and negative publicity has centered on allegations of, among other things, lack of effective internal control over financial reporting resulting
in financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases,
allegations of fraud. As a result, many of these companies have conducted or are now conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations
and, in the interim, are subject to shareholder lawsuits and/or SEC enforcement actions.
iQIYI was subject to allegations made in the short seller report published by Wolfpack Research on April 7, 2020. See “Item 8.A. Financial
Information—Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.” Separately, in November 2020, after our announcement
that we had entered into definitive agreements with JOYY Inc. (JOYY) and certain of its affiliates to acquire YY Live, Muddy Waters published a short
selling report containing certain allegations against JOYY, including the YY Live Business. On February 8, 2021, JOYY publicly disclosed that its audit
committee conducted an independent review of the allegations raised in the report related to the YY Live business, with the assistance of independent
counsel, working with a team of experienced forensic auditors and data analytics experts, and that the review concluded that the allegations raised and
conclusions reached in the report about the YY Live business were not substantiated. Further, JOYY Inc. and certain of its current and former officers
and directors were named as defendants in a federal putative securities class action filed in November 2020 in the district court for the Central District of
California, alleging that they made material misstatements and omissions in documents filed with the SEC regarding certain of the allegations contained
in the Muddy Waters short seller report. In March 2022, the court granted defendants’ motion to dismiss in its entirety with prejudice. See “—We face
risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live and its online live streaming business.” We may also become the subject of other short seller
attacks from time to time in the future and class actions or regulatory enforcement actions derivative of such short seller attacks or actions of a similar
nature. Any such allegations may be followed by periods of instability in the market price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs and negative
publicity. If and when we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we may have to
expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves, including in connection with class actions or regulatory
enforcement actions derivative of such allegations. While we believe we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be
constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short sellers by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law or issues of
commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming, and could divert management’s attention from the day-to-day our
operations. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact the market price of our
securities and our business operations.
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We cannot guarantee that any share repurchase program will be fully consummated or that any share repurchase program will enhance long-term
shareholder value, and share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs and could diminish
our cash reserves.
Our board of director have authorized a few share repurchase programs in recent years, some of which had not been fully consummated:
•
•
•
On June 26, 2018, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, under which we may repurchase up to US$1.0 billion of
our ADSs or ordinary shares over 12 months from June 27, 2018 through June 26, 2019.
On May 16, 2019, our board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program, under which we may repurchase up to US$1.0 billion
of our ADSs or ordinary shares, effective until July 1, 2020.
On May 13, 2020, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, under which we may repurchase up to US$1.0 billion of
our ADSs or shares, effective until July 1, 2021. On August 6, 2020, our board of directors approved a change to the 2020 share repurchase
program, increasing the repurchase authorization from US$1 billion to US$3 billion and extending the effective time through
December 31, 2022. On December 8, 2020, our board of directors approved a further increase in the repurchase authorization from
US$3 billion to US$4.5 billion.
Our board of directors also has the discretion to authorize additional share repurchase programs in the future. The share repurchase programs do
not obligate us to repurchase any specific dollar amount or to acquire any specific number of ADSs and/or shares. We cannot guarantee that any share
repurchase program will enhance long-term shareholder value. The share repurchase programs could affect the price of our listed securities and increase
volatility and may be suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or
ADSs. Furthermore, share repurchases could increase the volatility of the price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs and could diminish our cash
reserves.
Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs
for return on your investment.
We currently do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our Class A
ordinary shares and/or ADSs as a source for any future dividend income.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution
declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. In either case, the declaration of dividend will be
subject to our memorandum and articles of association and certain restrictions under Cayman Islands law. 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, among other things, 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 Class A ordinary
shares and/or ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs. There is no guarantee
that our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the Class A ordinary shares
and/or ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs and you may even lose your entire
investment in our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs.
Holders of our ADSs may not have the same voting rights as the holders of our ordinary shares and may not receive voting materials in time to be
able to exercise your right to vote.
Except as described in this annual report and in the deposit agreement, holders of our ADSs will not be able to exercise voting rights attached to
the shares evidenced by our ADSs on an individual basis. Holders of our
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ADSs will appoint the depositary or its nominee as their representative to exercise the voting rights attached to the shares represented by the ADSs.
Holders of our ADSs may not receive voting materials in time to instruct the depositary to vote, and it is possible that you, or persons who hold their
ADSs through brokers, dealers or other third parties, will not have the opportunity to exercise a right to vote. Upon our written request, the depositary
will mail to holders of our ADSs a shareholder meeting notice which contains, among other things, a statement as to the manner in which their voting
instructions may be given, including an express indication that such instructions may be given or deemed given to the depositary to give a discretionary
proxy to a person designated by us if no instructions are received by the depositary from ADS holders on or before the response date established by the
depositary. However, no voting instruction will be deemed given and no such discretionary proxy will be given with respect to any matter as to which
we inform the depositary that (i) we do not wish such proxy given, (ii) substantial opposition exists, or (iii) such matter materially and adversely affects
the rights of shareholders.
Holders of our ADSs may not be able to participate in rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.
We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. Under the deposit agreement for the
ADSs, the depositary will not offer those rights to ADS holders unless both the rights and the underlying securities to be distributed to ADS holders are
either registered under the Securities Act of 1933, or exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs. We are under
no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement
to be declared effective. In addition, we may not be able to take advantage of any exemptions from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly,
holders of our ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in their holdings as a result.
Holders of our ADSs may not receive cash dividends, if any, if the depositary decides it is impractical to make them available to ADS holders.
The depositary will pay cash dividends on the ADSs only to the extent that we decide to distribute dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or
other deposited securities, and we do not have any present plan to pay any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. To the extent
that there is a distribution, the depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to ADS holders the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian
receives on our Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. ADS holders will receive these distributions
in proportion to the number of Class A ordinary shares that their ADSs represent. However, the depositary may, at its discretion, decide that it is
inequitable or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. In these cases, the depositary may decide not to distribute such
property to holders of our ADSs.
Holders of our ADSs may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.
The ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its transfer books at any time or from time to time
when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. In addition, the depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers
of ADSs generally when our books or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary deems it advisable to do so because
of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.
Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.
We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and conduct most of our operations in China through our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated
entities in China. All of our executive officers and a majority of our directors do not reside in the United States or Hong Kong and some or all of the
assets of these persons are not
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located in the United States or Hong Kong. As a result, it may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States, Hong Kong or
elsewhere outside of China upon our executive officers, including with respect to matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws or applicable state
securities laws, Hong Kong laws or otherwise.
It may also be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against our directors and executive officers in the Cayman Islands or
in China in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing
an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our
directors and executive officers.
Although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in Hong Kong courts or federal or state courts of the
United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the
Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a foreign monetary judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any
re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment
debtor an obligation to pay the liquidated sum for which such judgment has been given, provided such judgment (i) is given by a foreign court of
competent jurisdiction, (ii) imposes on the judgment debtor a liability to pay a liquidated sum for which the judgment has been given, (iii) is final, (iv) is
not in respect of taxes, a fine or a penalty, and (v) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural
justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts
or Hong Kong courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law or Hong Kong law if such judgment is determined by the courts of
the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. Because such a determination has not yet been
made by a court of the Cayman Islands, it is uncertain whether such civil liability judgments from U.S. or Hong Kong would be enforceable in the
Cayman Islands.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association and by the Cayman Islands Companies Act (As Revised) and
common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take legal action against our directors and us, actions by minority shareholders and the
fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The
common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from English
common law, which has persuasive, but not binding, authority on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary duties
of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedents in the United States. In
particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and provides significantly less protection
to investors. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action before the federal courts of the
United States.
The recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and
enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country
where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of reciprocity with the
United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law,
the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our director and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of
PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a
judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against our
management, directors or major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States or in Hong
Kong.
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Since our company is a Cayman Islands exempted company, the rights of our shareholders may be more limited than those of shareholders of a
company organized in the United States or Hong Kong.
Under the laws of some jurisdictions in the United States, majority and controlling shareholders generally have certain fiduciary responsibilities to
the minority shareholders. Shareholder action must be taken in good faith, and actions by controlling shareholders which are obviously unreasonable
may be declared null and void. Cayman Islands law protecting the interests of minority shareholders may not be as protective in all circumstances as the
law protecting minority shareholders in some U.S. jurisdictions. In addition, the circumstances in which a shareholder of a Cayman Islands company
may sue the company derivatively, and the procedures and defenses that may be available to the company, may result in the rights of shareholders of a
Cayman Islands company being more limited than those of shareholders of a company organized in the United States.
Furthermore, our directors have the power to take certain actions without shareholder approval which would require shareholder approval under
Hong Kong law and the laws of most U.S. jurisdictions. The directors of a Cayman Islands company, without shareholder approval, may implement a
sale of any assets, property, part of the business, or securities of the company. Our ability to create and issue new classes or series of shares without
shareholders’ approval could have the effect of delaying, deterring or preventing a change in control without any further action by our shareholders,
including a tender offer to purchase our ordinary shares at a premium over then current market prices.
Furthermore, our articles of association are specific to us and include certain provisions that may be different from common practices in Hong
Kong, such as the absence of requirements that the appointment, removal and remuneration of auditors must be approved by a majority of our
shareholders.
Our dual-class ordinary share structure with different voting rights could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that
holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.
Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one
vote per share, while holders of Class B ordinary shares are entitled to ten votes per share. We issued Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs
in our initial public offering. Our co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Robin Yanhong Li, who acquired our shares prior to our initial public
offering, holds our Class B ordinary shares. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof,
while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by
a holder thereof to any person or entity which is not an affiliate (as defined in our memorandum and articles of association) of such holder, such Class B
ordinary shares will be automatically and immediately converted into the equal number of Class A ordinary shares. In addition, if at any time Robin
Yanhong Li and his affiliates (as defined in our memorandum and articles of association) collectively own less than 5% of the total number of the issued
and outstanding Class B ordinary shares, each issued and outstanding Class B ordinary share will be automatically and immediately converted into one
Class A ordinary share, and we shall not issue any Class B ordinary shares thereafter.
Due to the disparate voting powers attached to these two classes, certain shareholders have significant voting power over matters requiring
shareholder approval, including election of directors and significant corporate transactions, such as a merger or sale of our company or our assets. This
concentrated control could discourage or prevent others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control transactions with our
company, which could deprive our shareholders and ADS holders of an opportunity to receive a premium for their shares or ADSs as part of a sale of
our company and might reduce the price of our Class A ordinary shares and/or ADSs.
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Our articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could adversely affect the rights of holders of our ordinary shares and/or ADSs.
Our articles of association include certain provisions that could limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company, and therefore may
deprive the holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs of the opportunity to sell their ordinary shares or ADSs at a premium over the prevailing market
price by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transactions. These provisions include the
following:
•
•
•
A dual-class ordinary share structure.
Our board of directors has the authority, without approval by the shareholders, to issue up to a total of 800,000,000 preferred shares in one
or more series. Our board of directors may establish the number of shares to be included in each such series and may fix the designations,
preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred shares.
Our board of directors has the right to elect directors to fill a vacancy created by the increase of the board of directors or the resignation,
death or removal of a director, which prevents shareholders from having the sole right to fill vacancies on our board of directors.
We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the U.S. 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 U.S. 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:
•
•
•
•
the rules under the U.S. Exchange Act requiring the filing with the SEC of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K;
the sections of the U.S. Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered
under the U.S. Exchange Act;
the sections of the U.S. Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability
for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and
the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD.
We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our
results on a quarterly 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.
As a Cayman Islands exempted company listed on Nasdaq, we are subject to Nasdaq 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 Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. For example, neither the
Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands nor our Memorandum and Articles requires a majority of our directors to be independent and we
could include non-independent directors as members of our compensation committee and nominating committee, and our independent directors would
not necessarily hold regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. We followed home country practice with respect to
annual general meetings and did not hold an annual general meeting of shareholders in
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2021. We have convened an extraordinary general meeting on December 7, 2021 to revise our memorandum and articles of association, so that we are
required to convene an annual general meeting each year. This resolution has been passed and our memorandum and articles of association was
amended and restated accordingly. If we choose to follow other home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection
than they otherwise would under Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequence to U.S.
Holders of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
A non-U.S. corporation, such as our own, will be considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is passive
income or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (generally determined on a quarterly basis) is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the
production of passive income. The value of our assets is generally determined by reference to the market price of the ADSs and ordinary shares, which
may fluctuate considerably. In addition, because PFIC status is a fact-intensive determination made on an annual basis, no assurance may be given with
respect to our PFIC status for the current or any future taxable year.
Based on the market price of our ADSs and ordinary shares, the value of our assets, and the composition of our assets and income, we believe that
we were not a PFIC for our taxable year ended December 31, 2021 and do not expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future.
While we do not anticipate being or becoming a PFIC in the current or foreseeable taxable years, no assurance can be given in this regard because the
determination of whether we will be or become a PFIC is a factual determination made annually that will depend, in part, upon the composition of our
income and assets. Fluctuations in the market price of our ordinary shares and/or ADSs may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or future taxable
years because the value of our assets for purposes of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, may be
determined by reference to the market price of our ordinary shares and/or ADSs from time to time (which may be volatile). If our market capitalization
subsequently declines, we may be or become classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year or future taxable years.
If we were treated as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (defined below) held an ADS or an ordinary share, certain adverse
U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to the U.S. Holder. See “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax
Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company.”
The different characteristics of the capital markets in Hong Kong and the U.S. may negatively affect the trading prices of our Class A ordinary
shares and/or ADSs.
We are subject to Hong Kong and Nasdaq listing and regulatory requirements concurrently. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange and Nasdaq have
different trading hours, trading characteristics (including trading volume and liquidity), trading and listing rules, and investor bases (including different
levels of retail and institutional participation). As a result of these differences, the trading prices of our Class A ordinary shares and our ADSs may not
be the same, even allowing for currency differences. Fluctuations in the price of our ADSs due to circumstances peculiar to the U.S. capital markets
could materially and adversely affect the price of our Class A ordinary shares, or vice versa. Certain events having significant negative impact
specifically on the U.S. capital markets may result in a decline in the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares notwithstanding that such event may
not impact the trading prices of securities listed in Hong Kong generally or to the same extent, or vice versa. Because of the different characteristics of
the U.S. and Hong Kong capital markets, the historical market prices of our ADSs may not be indicative of the trading performance of our Class A
ordinary shares.
Exchange between our Class A ordinary shares and our ADSs may adversely affect the liquidity and/or trading price of each other.
Subject to compliance with U.S. securities law and the terms of the deposit agreement, holders of our Class A ordinary shares may deposit Class A
ordinary shares with the depositary in exchange for the issuance of
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our ADSs. Any holder of ADSs may also surrender ADSs and withdraw the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by the ADSs pursuant to the
terms of the deposit agreement for trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In the event that a substantial number of Class A ordinary shares are
deposited with the depositary in exchange for ADSs or vice versa, the liquidity and trading price of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange and our ADSs on Nasdaq may be adversely affected.
The time required for the exchange between Class A ordinary shares and ADSs might be longer than expected and investors might not be able to
settle or effect any sale of their securities during this period, and the exchange of Class A ordinary shares into ADSs involves costs.
There is no direct trading or settlement between Nasdaq and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on which our ADSs and our Class A ordinary shares
are respectively traded. In addition, the time differences between Hong Kong and New York and unforeseen market circumstances or other factors may
delay the deposit of Class A ordinary shares in exchange of ADSs or the withdrawal of Class A ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. Investors will
be prevented from settling or effecting the sale of their securities during such periods of delay. In addition, there is no assurance that any exchange of
Class A ordinary shares into ADSs (and vice versa) will be completed in accordance with the timelines investors may anticipate.
Furthermore, the depositary for the ADSs is entitled to charge holders fees for various services including for the issuance of ADSs upon deposit of
Class A ordinary shares, cancelation of ADSs, distributions of cash dividends or other cash distributions, distributions of ADSs pursuant to share
dividends or other free share distributions, distributions of securities other than ADSs and annual service fees. As a result, shareholders who exchange
Class A ordinary shares into ADSs, and vice versa, may not achieve the level of economic return the shareholders may anticipate.
We are exposed to risks associated with any potential spin-off of one or more of our businesses.
We are exposed to risks associated with any potential spin-off of one or more of our businesses. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange has granted us a
waiver from strict compliance with the requirements in paragraph 3(b) of Practice Note 15 to the Hong Kong Listing Rules such that we are able to
spin-off a subsidiary entity and list it on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange within three years after the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange. While we do not have any specific plans with respect to the timing or details of any potential spin-off listing on the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange as at the date of this annual report, we continue to explore the ongoing financing requirements for our various businesses and may
consider a spin-off listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange for one or more of those businesses within the three year period after the listing of our
Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As of the date of this annual report, we have not identified any target for a potential
spin-off; as a result we do not have any information relating to the identity of any spin-off target or any other details of any spin off and accordingly,
there is no material omission of any information relating to any possible spin-off in this document. The waiver granted by the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange is conditional upon us confirming to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in advance of any spin-off that it would not render the Company,
excluding the businesses to be spun off, incapable of fulfilling either the eligibility or suitability requirements under Rules 19C.02 and 19C.05 of the
Hong Kong Listing Rules based on the financial information of the entity or entities to be spun-off at the time of our company’s Listing (calculated
cumulatively if more than one entity is spun-off). We cannot assure you that any spin-off will ultimately be consummated, whether within the three-year
period after the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange or otherwise, and any such spin-off will be subject to market
conditions at the time and approval by the listing committee of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In the event that we proceed with a spin-off, our
company’s interest in the entity to be spun-off (and its corresponding contribution to the financial results of our company) will be reduced accordingly.
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Item 4.
Information on the Company
A. History and Development of the Company
Our company was incorporated in the Cayman Islands in January 2000. In December 2008, our shareholders approved the name change of our
company from Baidu.com, Inc. to Baidu, Inc. In December 2021, our shareholders approved the name change of our company from Baidu, Inc. to
Baidu, Inc. 百度集團股份有限公司 by adopting the dual foreign name “百度集團股份有限公司”
Since our inception, we have conducted our operations in China principally through Baidu Online, our wholly owned subsidiary in Beijing, China.
Since June 2001, we also have conducted part of our operations in China through Baidu Netcom, a consolidated affiliated entity in Beijing, China, which
holds the licenses and approvals necessary to operate our platform and provide value-added telecommunication-based online marketing services. In
subsequent years, we have established additional subsidiaries inside and outside of China and assisted in establishing additional PRC consolidated
affiliated entities to conduct part of our operations.
On August 5, 2005, we listed our ADSs on The NASDAQ National Market (later renamed The Nasdaq Global Market) under the symbol
“BIDU,” with each ADS representing one Class A ordinary share at the time. Our ADSs are currently traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market.
On May 12, 2010, we effected a change of the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 1 ADS representing 1 Class A ordinary share to 10 ADSs
representing 1 Class A ordinary share. The ratio change had the same effect as a 10-for-1 ADS split.
In November 2012, we obtained the controlling interest in iQIYI, Inc., or iQIYI, a prior equity method investee, and have since then consolidated
its financial results into our consolidated financial statements. In May 2013, we acquired the online video business of PPStream Inc., or PPS, merged it
with iQIYI and have since then consolidated its financial results into our consolidated financial statements. iQIYI completed its initial public offering in
March 2018 and iQIYI’s American Depositary Shares trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “IQ”. We continue to control iQIYI
and consolidate its financial results into our own in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
In April 2018, we entered into definitive agreements with certain investors relating to our divestiture of a majority equity stake in our financial
services business, which provides consumer credit, wealth management and other financial services and has been renamed as Du Xiaoman. The
divestiture was completed in August 2018, following which we held a minority equity interest in Du Xiaoman, which was accounted for as an equity
method investment, and have deconsolidated the financial results of Du Xiaoman from our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S.
GAAP.
We closed Series A financing of our smart living business, or Smart Living Group (SLG), at a post-money valuation of approximately
RMB20 billion (US$2.9 billion), and Series B financing at a US$5.1 billion post-money valuation, in November 2020 and August 2021, respectively.
SLG operates DuerOS voice assistant and DuerOS-powered smart devices. We continued to consolidate the financial results of SLG into our own in
accordance with U.S. GAPP as a majority shareholder.
We entered into definitive agreements with JOYY in November 2020 and made certain amendments in February 2021 to acquire YY Live, which
includes YY mobile app, YY.com website and PC YY, among others, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$3.6 billion in cash, subject to
certain adjustments. The closing of this acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including, among others, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals
from governmental authorities. We and JOYY have agreed to extend the long stop date, which is the closing deadline of the proposed transaction, to
March 31, 2022, which may be further extended through mutual agreement of both parties, if the approval has not been obtained by then. See “Item 3.
Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We face risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live
and its online live streaming business.”
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On March 1, 2021, our shareholders approved and effected a change to our authorized share capital by 1-to-80 subdivision of shares.
Concurrently, we effected a proportionate change in ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share to each
ADS representing 8 Class A ordinary shares.
On March 23, 2021, our Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code
“9888.” We raised from our global offering in connection with the listing in Hong Kong approximately US$3.1 billion in net proceeds after deducting
underwriting commissions, share issuance costs and the offering expenses.
We moved to our current corporate headquarters, which we name as Baidu Campus, in November 2009. Our principal executive offices are
located at Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, the People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this
address is +86 (10) 5992-8888.
B.
Business Overview
Our mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology.
We are a leading AI company with a strong Internet foundation. We have been consistently investing in AI since 2010 to solidify our technology
advancement, improve search capabilities and boost overall monetization. Baidu Brain, our core AI technology engine, has enabled us to develop new
AI businesses. The breadth and depth of our AI capabilities provide the differentiating foundational technologies that power all of our businesses.
We are one of the very few companies in the world that offers a full AI stack, encompassing an infrastructure consists of AI chips, deep learning
framework, core AI capabilities, such as natural language processing, knowledge graph, speech recognition, computer vision and augmented reality, as
well as an open AI platform to facilitate wide application and use. Our technological innovation in AI has been well recognized by the global
community. For instance, ERNIE, our knowledge-enhanced natural language processing framework, became the first AI model to score above 90 on
GLUE (General Language Understanding Evaluation), which is widely considered as the benchmark for testing AI language understanding, and won the
SAIL (Super AI Leader) award, the highest honorary recognition at the 2020 World Artificial Intelligence Conference. PaddlePaddle, an industrial open-
source deep learning platform, was rated No. 1 in terms of usage in China, according to IDC in December 2021. We have put our leading AI into
innovative use. For example, we are the first to receive driverless licenses in China and the U.S. and we are testing driverless vehicles in China.
Baidu was founded as a search engine business in 2000 with the belief that technology can change the way people discover and consume
information. At the heart of Baidu search is its ability to better understand a users’ search queries and to answer these queries by matching the most
relevant information in ranked search results. To achieve this, we continuously innovate and develop new technologies and products that enhance Baidu
search user experience. We began to use AI a decade ago to power these technologies in order to better match user search intent with the large amount of
information on the Internet. For instance, our natural language processing, an AI capability, enables the understanding of important details of a query,
particularly in complex conversational queries. This helps optimize search results returned and increase the satisfaction rate of users. Years of tagging,
understanding and intelligently processing all forms of content on the Internet—text, images and videos—with AI has helped us develop Baidu Brain,
which in turn has enabled us to further develop leading AI technologies and commercialize them through products and services for consumers,
enterprises and the public sector. Our ability to continuously invest heavily in research and development is made possible by the durable revenue that we
generated as a leading Internet platform.
The widespread usage of our open AI platform by developers and businesses creates a network effect for our AI technologies, products and
services. In December 2021, PaddlePaddle developer community grew to 4.06 million and serves over 157,000 businesses. The more developers and
businesses use our AI models, tool
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kits and services, the better our AI capabilities become, which in turn further increase the attractiveness of our AI platform to developers and business
communities. This network effect helps us obtain unique insights into different kinds of products and services that are in demand and have real-world
application across different industries, setting a strong foundation for us to make investment decisions and lead with technology, products and services in
the markets that we have entered.
Our large portfolio of products and services is accessed by over one billion devices monthly, and our business spans across an ecosystem of
hundreds of millions of users, millions of developers and hundreds of thousands of enterprises. Our usage of a strong technology foundation to support
an open platform business model not only draws more participants into our ecosystem, but also adds richness and vibrancy to our ecosystem,
strengthening the long-term prospect and vitality of our business overall.
We usually start the development of a business with a strong technology platform, on which we build products and services for our customers and
users, and through an open platform architecture, we attract a wide array of partners to our ecosystem to expand the offerings to our customers and
users. The platform could then grow organically and by leveraging the power of our partners in the ecosystem, which over time feed into a virtuous
cycle.
Over the past two decades, we have demonstrated a track record for long-term growth and strong profitability, which has enabled us to invest in a
diversified portfolio of products and services with large total market opportunities and further improve our long-term growth prospects. Through years
of investment in research, AI chip design, developer community, patents and talent development, we are turning AI into innovative use cases and new
monetization opportunities. Powered by AI, Baidu Core, which excludes iQIYI and contributed over 70% of our total revenues during 2019, 2020 and
2021, mainly provides search-based, feed based, and other online marketing services, as well as products and services from new AI initiatives in the
following three growth engines:
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Mobile Ecosystem: a portfolio of over one dozen apps, including Baidu App, Haokan and Baidu Post, which provides an open platform that
aggregates a wide range of third-party, long-tail content and services through our AI building blocks and which helps communities connect
and share knowledge and information;
AI Cloud: a full suite of cloud services and solutions, including IaaS (infrastructure as a service), PaaS (platform as a service) and SaaS
(software as a service) and uniquely differentiated by our AI solutions; and
Intelligent Driving & Other Growth Initiatives (OGI): our growth initiatives include intelligent driving (Apollo Self Driving and DuerOS
for Auto, including high definition maps, automated valet parking and Apollo navigation pilot and DuerOS for Auto), autonomous ride-
hailing services and intelligent electric vehicles under a joint venture, Jidu Auto, that we established with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
(Geely), as well as Xiaodu smart devices powered by DuerOS smart assistant and AI chip development.
At the core of our Mobile Ecosystem is Baidu App, which is the No. 1 search-plus-feed app in China with an MAU of 622 million and daily
logged-in users surpassing 80% in December 2021. Unlike most mobile apps, which direct traffic to a closed content ecosystem, Baidu App, through our
AI building blocks, aggregates content and services from third-party apps and websites, and directs traffic to third-party content and service providers
with native-app like experience. Under an open-platform model, Baidu App can continue to grow our huge offering of third-party content and services,
by leveraging our network partners of Baijiahao (BJH) Accounts, Smart Mini Program and Managed Page. Our decade-long experience with AI and the
development of a powerful knowledge graph allow us to match user intent with long-tail, third-party content and services on our open platform.
Our Mobile Ecosystem also includes a portfolio of over one dozen apps, including Baidu App, Haokan and Baidu Post, providing a platform for
people to discover and consume information through search and feed,
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interact and engage with creators, publishers, service providers and merchants. This native-app like experience from user acquisition to user relationship
management to closed loop transactions demonstrates our value to merchants, enabling them to perform user life-time management on our platform, and
has made Baidu App a leading online marketing services provider for both search and feed. Within our Mobile Ecosystem, we serve more than
half-a-million customers by enabling them to tap into our massive user base. We monetize primarily through offering comprehensive and effective
marketing services to fulfill our customers’ needs. We generate revenue primarily from providing search, feed and other marketing services, which
account for a majority of our total revenues in 2019, 2020 and 2021. We have made extensive use of AI technologies to develop innovative marketing
services, such as dynamic ads, which recommends products from our marketing customers most fitting to each search user. Our marketing cloud also
provides innovative AI capabilities to our marketing customers, so that users can still make product inquiries during non-business hours and Baidu Brain
can automatically carry a conversation with users to facilitate transactions. In addition, the user engagement and user logins that have developed on our
platform are enabling us to diversify monetization beyond online marketing into other services, such as live broadcasting, online games and
membership.
Our AI Cloud offers a full suite of cloud services and solutions, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and is differentiated with our AI solutions.
Leveraging Baidu Brain, our AI solutions provide customers and developers with a comprehensive library of modularized solutions, including open
source codes, pre-trained models, end-to-end development kits, tools and components. In addition, our AI Cloud customers can leverage our large
library of key AI capabilities, such as knowledge graph, speech recognition and synthesis, natural language processing and computer vision. Our
products and services, such as EasyDL, a no-code toolkit on PaddlePaddle that helps users without programming skills build customized machine
learning models with a drag-and-drop interface, and BML Baidu machine learning, a full-featured AI development platform for AI algorithm developers
based on PaddlePaddle, make it easier for customers to use deep learning and machine learning to solve real world problems, and our cloud services are
formulated to serve across different industries, including transportation, manufacturing, the public service sector, energy industries, financial services,
and Internet/media.
Our Intelligent Driving & OGI consists of promising businesses in development with huge market opportunities, and some are at early-stage
commercialization with a growing customer base. We are a market leader in intelligent driving and smart devices, and we are pursuing these large
growth opportunities by leveraging our unique AI capabilities, data insights and internally developed chips. Apollo Go, which provides autonomous
ride-hailing service, is now open to the public in 8 cities in China. Apollo Go has begun to charge fees for the autonomous ride-hailing services on open
roads in Beijing since November 25, 2021, in Chongqing since February 18, 2022, and in Yangquan since February 27, 2022.
Our strong brand and market leadership in autonomous driving has carried over to intelligent driving. Apollo is a well-recognized brand among
automakers. We have partnered with over 30 automakers, including those for Ford, Toyota, Great Wall and BYD to power their passenger vehicles.
Xiaodu ranked No. 1 in smart display shipments globally and No. 1 in smart speaker shipments in China for the first nine months of 2021,
according to IDC, Strategy Analytics and Canalys. We also develop AI chips internally customized for Baidu Brain and specific AI usages to improve
performance and costs. We believe these initiatives will strengthen our revenue drivers for long-term growth.
iQIYI produces, aggregates and distributes a wide variety of professionally produced content, as well as a broad spectrum of other video content,
in a variety of formats.
We believe we have built a large and strong portfolio of products and services to give Baidu the scale necessary to invest heavily in technology,
while optimizing our future for sustainable long-term growth. We derive significant synergies by incorporating the AI developed for search into other
parts of our business. For example, large daily use of our visual search and voice search may be used to improve Apollo sensing capability and DuerOS
speech recognition capabilities.
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Our operations are primarily conducted in China. For the year ended December 31, 2021, more than 97% of our group’s total revenues were
generated from China, and as of December 31, 2021, more than 80% of our group’s total assets were based in China.
Baidu Core
Baidu Core—Mobile Ecosystem
Baidu Mobile Ecosystem provides a platform for people to discover and consume information through search and feed and facilitate interaction
and engagement among users, creators, service providers, and merchants, alike. In particular, our ecosystem allows merchants, creators, publishers and
service providers to acquire users, interact with users by provide information, content, products and services, and transact with users. This marketing
funnel approach from user acquisition to user engagement to monetization demonstrates our value to merchants, allowing them to build a life-time
relationship of users. In addition, this platform-centric approach has enabled our Mobile Ecosystem to start diversifying commercialization beyond
online marketing into other services.
Products and Services for Users
Baidu App. Our flagship app enables users to access our search, feed, content and other services through mobile devices. Baidu App offers twin-
engine search and feed functions that leverage our AI-powered algorithms and deep user insight to offer users a compelling experience. Through the
building blocks of BJH accounts, Smart Mini Program and Managed Page, Baidu App provides users single with log-on, native-app-like experience to a
wide range of information and services dispersed across isolated mobile apps and HTML5 websites, as well as merchants a full suite of marketing cloud
services. Baidu App’s spanning mobile ecosystem has resulted in more users logging in. In December 2021, MAUs and DAUs of Baidu App reached
622 million and 218 million, respectively, and daily logged in users surpassed 80%.
•
•
Baidu Search. Users can access our search and other services through Baidu’s properties and Baidu Union partners’ properties. In addition
to text inputs, users can conduct AI-powered voice search and visual search. Voice search integrates speech recognition and search
technologies to enhance the user experience by providing a more natural and convenient input modality. Visual search enables the use of
smart phone cameras to capture images and retrieve related content and services on the Internet. For example, users can take a photo of a
plant or a pet, to identify the species. We also endeavor to improve the search experience, through other AI-powered products, such as Top
1, to satisfy user queries with the first displayed search result, which we believe will be an important capability with the adoption of smart
devices with smaller screens. In addition, we offer vertical search, such as video search and online literature search to our users.
Baidu Feed. Baidu Feed provides users with personalized timeline based on their demographics and interests. Baidu Feed complements our
core search product, leverages Baidu AI recommendation algorithms and monetization platform, and contributes to user engagement and
retention, including content sharing, likes, and comments. Baidu Feed provides text-to-speech function to help users consume Internet
content hands free, as well as leverages its large traffic to distribute video content from Haokan, iQIYI and third parties.
Haokan. Haokan offers a wide variety of user generated and professionally produced short videos, usually several minutes long, in coordination
with MCNs (multiple channel network). Haokan allows users to upload, view, search, rate, share, favorite, comment, and follow. Video creators and
curators can distribute their content to build a fan base and receive revenue share for their content contribution.
Internally Developed Knowledge-and-Information-Centric Products. Our content and services ecosystem also includes a comprehensive
portfolio of knowledge and information products developed internally,
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in partnership with professionals, reputable organizations and other users. For example, we provided live streaming content from healthcare industry
experts in 2020, to help users better understand and cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Baidu Wiki. A leading wiki in China compiled by experts in specialized fields featuring high-quality columns and videos, such as
Encyclopedia of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Digital Museum and Recorder of History.
Baidu Knows. An online community where users can pose questions to other users, such as individuals, professionals, and enterprises.
Baidu Knows leverages Baidu’s search capabilities to help users find answers to their questions on the Internet fast and efficiently, while at
the same time allow various partners of Baidu Knows to engage with their targeted users.
Baidu Experience. An online platform where users share daily knowledge and experience, providing practical tips and interesting
perspectives in areas, such as software, lifestyle, and games, etc.
Baidu Post. A social media built on topical online communities. Users can post text, image, audio and video content and reply to original
curation, forming valuable discussion groups. Baidu Post draws new users through close integration with search and user generated
content, and has been a popular platform for celebrity fans, online game players, and online novel readers to share topical discussions,
especially about current trends.
Products and Services for Partners
We attract numerous partners to our platform through our AI building blocks and Baidu Union, which help create opportunities for us to work
with our partners in research and development and other business cooperation and establish long term business relationships.
AI Building Blocks. The number of smartphones sold in China is on a decline and app installation costs have been rising, causing app developers
to take interest in offering their content and services on Baidu App with native-like app experience. Similarly, website owners are experiencing the
challenge to grow their business while open in-app search queries are outgrowing browser search queries. To help app developers and website owners
grow their business and leverage their traffic more efficiently with AI-powered tools and capabilities, we offer Smart Mini Program and Managed Page
to our partners, respectively. We also offer BJH accounts to enable content providers to place their content on our publisher network and make their
content searchable.
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Baijiahao (BJH Accounts). Our publisher network aggregates articles, photos, short videos, live videos, and augmented reality clips from
MCNs, media outlets, and other professional sources, for distribution through search, feed, and short video products.
Smart Mini Program. App developers may share their content and services in Baidu App with native-app like experience through
increasingly popular applets, known as Smart Mini Program. Users can now search for and access content and services that historically
were only available in standalone apps within Baidu App, without having to download and maintain so many apps on their phones.
Managed Page. Managed Page is a hosted mobile alternative for website owners. Site owners may open an account on our platform, use
our tools and services powered by AI and engage with users without having to maintain their own site and pay for server, software and
bandwidth costs. Managed Page comes with industry-specific templates and is designed to provide users with more reliable and secure
information. Managed Page reached 40% of Baidu Core 2021 online marketing revenue.
Baidu Union. We match the promotional links of our online marketing services customers to the online properties of Baidu Union partners, which
consists of a large number of partners, such as third-party websites, wap sites and mobile apps. Some Baidu Union partners, such as online portal
websites and Internet cafes, also embed our products and services, such as Baidu Search or a search function powered by Baidu Search, onto their
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online properties, which allows Baidu Union partners to provide high-quality, relevant search results to their users without incurring the cost of
development and maintenance for advanced search capabilities and monetize their traffic through revenue sharing arrangements with us. Baidu Union
partners may use our content recommendation system to provide feed content and ads to their users. We typically pay our Baidu Union partners a
portion of the online marketing revenues based on pre-arranged agreements.
In addition, we also enter into arrangements with Baidu Union partners to provide our search engine in their browsers. We typically pay such
Baidu Union partners a fee based on prearranged agreements.
Products and Services for Customers
We, through our network of third-party agents and our direct sales team, deliver online marketing services to a diverse customer base consisting of
SMEs across industries, including healthcare, retail, e-commerce, education, personal care, real estate, home furnishing, automobile, financial services,
professional services, franchising and online games. In 2021, we served more than half a million enterprise customers, who are customers of our online
marketing services.
Our online marketing services enable the delivery of comprehensive, rich, and diversified marketing offerings to fulfill customer needs. Our
online marketing services include P4P (pay for performance) services and others. We generate revenues primarily from the sale of P4P online marketing
services and other marketing services to our customers, which accounts for a majority of our total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020
and 2021.
P4P. Our auction-based P4P services allow customers to bid for priority placement of paid sponsored links and reach users who search for
information related to their products or services. We charge our customers on a cost-per-click basis. Customers may choose to purchase search, feed and
other online marketing services and have the option to set daily allowances targeting users by geography in China and specify the time period for their
campaign. As our partners adopt Smart Mini Programs and Managed Page, some of them have begun to use these properties as their landing page, in
lieu of their own mobile apps and websites.
Search marketing services are mainly provided to customers through our proprietary online marketing system which drives monetization
efficiency by improving relevance in paid search and optimizing value for our customers.
Feed marketing services usually comprise image-based or video-based advertising, appearing between the feed headlines or within the feed
content. It is powered by Baidu AI in order to better match goods and services providers with their targeted audience while optimizing user experience.
Others. Our other marketing services comprise display-based marketing services and other online marketing services based on performance
criteria other than CPC (cost-per-click). Customers can choose different mix of our service offerings to optimize their return on investment. BrandZone
allows customers to display integrated text, logo, image, and video in a structured and uniform manner on a prominent position of the search result page
or in vertical search products, such as Baidu Knows. Programmatic marketing platform supports the placement of advertisement using standard,
intelligent, or customized creativity, different purchasing methods (guaranteed delivery or real time bidding), and multiple payment methods.
Marketing cloud platform. Our marketing cloud platform integrates one-stop-shop media purchase with CRM (client relationship management)
functionalities, to allow our customers to purchase brand and performance-based marketing services, build audience and user engagement, generate
leads and maintain relationships with users, leveraging tools and services powered by Baidu AI. Our marketing cloud platform helps us better
understand our customers’ needs and enable our customers to leverage Baidu’s AI to simplify their marketing process and improve the effectiveness of
their marketing efforts.
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Our Mobile Ecosystem, built upon Baidu App as well as a dozen other apps, offers a wide range of third-party content and services to hundreds of
millions of users, typically free of charge. Our AI building blocks and other products and services for partners have attracted millions of partners to
become participants in our Mobile Ecosystem and generate content and services onto our platform and to tap into our over-half-a-billion user base. The
more partners we bring into our Mobile Ecosystem, the better we become at providing users with a more comprehensive reach and cover content and
services in more diversified formats than competing products, which in turn attracts more users and partners to our Mobile Ecosystem. For our Mobile
Ecosystem business, we generate a substantial majority of our revenues from the provision of online marketing services to our customers. and through
third-party agents. We charge our customers periodically based on usage while requiring certain customers to pay a deposit. We also offer certain
customers credit terms. In addition to offering ads on our platform, we serve promotional ads from our customers on the apps or website properties of
Baidu Union partners. We also power the search engines of Baidu Union partners.
Baidu Core—AI Cloud
Our AI Cloud offers a comprehensive set of cloud services and solutions, including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, based on our unique AI capabilities
Combined with our effective marketing capabilities, we have been able to demonstrate the ability to cross-sell and up-sell additional products and
services to existing customers, which in turn enables us to more efficiently grow our cloud business.
Our AI Cloud, which has become a revenue driver, includes two parts: (i) enterprise and public sector cloud solutions, and (ii) personal cloud
service.
For enterprises and public sector, we offer IaaS, PaaS and SaaS, profited from our unique AI capabilities, to various customers. Enterprises and
the public sector have been the growth engine for the cloud revenue, consistently outgrowing the overall AI Cloud business. In 2021, we achieved
breakthroughs in certain industries, in particular, transportation, manufacturing, public service sector, and energy and utilities.
Our IaaS provides our customers the flexibility to quickly scale or cut back on their cloud computing needs without having to provide huge capital
layout upfront. Our IaaS business benefited from multi-cloud strategies adopted by many of our customers.
We also provide enterprise customers with cloud solutions, usually consisting of PaaS and SaaS, that leverage the unique AI capabilities from
Baidu Brain. For example, we enabled a client in the manufacturing sector to automate quality assurance checkpoints on its production line by
leveraging our computer vision capabilities. This solution helped our client reduce labor cost and improve their operational efficiency.
In the transportation industry, we are a pioneer and industry leader in developing V2X (vehicle-to-everything) solutions, the infrastructure
backbone to smart transportation, to cities in China to help them improve municipal traffic condition, air pollution and road safety, using Baidu AI
technology. As of December 31, 2021, Baidu ACE smart transportation has been adopted by 35 cities, increased from 14 cities as of the end of 2020,
based on contract amount over RMB10 million. Our goal is to offer a comprehensive set of products, services, and tools to enable enterprises and public
sector to improve productivity and operational efficiency through the use of Baidu AI and cloud infrastructure.
The industry know-how from our existing businesses, such as our Mobile Ecosystem and iQIYI, also provides valuable insights on how to tailor
AI Cloud solutions to customers in the technology and media industries.
For the personal cloud service, we offer Baidu Drive, which allows users to store and retrieve photos, videos, and other files on AI Cloud, along
with other capabilities, such as group share and data transfer. Personal cloud service contributed a small portion of total cloud revenues, and has been
growing more slowly than the overall cloud revenues.
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For AI Cloud, we generate revenue by providing cloud services and solutions to enterprise clients, consumers and the public sector directly or
through solution integrators for a lump-sum fee or on a subscription basis. We also generate revenue from Baidu Drive from membership services
provided to individual customers. Baidu Core’s cloud services revenue reached RMB15.1 billion (US$2.4 billion) in 2021, increasing by 64% from
2020.
Baidu Core—Intelligent Driving & OGI
Intelligent Driving & OGI include developments with large total addressable markets and earlier-stage commercialization with a growing
customer base, including Apollo intelligent driving and DuerOS smart assistant.
Intelligent Driving
Intelligent driving, including Apollo self-driving services and DuerOS for Auto, robotaxi fleets (autonomous ride-hailing service) and intelligent
EVs, leverage AI and other technologies to make a vehicle, or fleet of vehicles, more intelligent, all with the ultimate goal to be autonomous.
We are the market leader in autonomous driving in China in terms of number of test miles and number of test licenses. The industry definition for
L4 autonomous driving is that the vehicles are capable to drive themselves without human interactions but will be restricted to known use cases, or in
most environments and road conditions. Apollo has already received permits for fully autonomous driving testing in Beijing, Cangzhou (Hebei), and
Changsha (Hunan) within China. A well-known research firm, names Apollo as one of the four global leaders in autonomous driving, recognizing us as
the top-tier autonomous driving company from China.
In addition, the services and solutions of intelligent driving are compatible with our smart transportation solutions, which leverage each other to
gain a better understanding of traffic and road conditions, as well as to improve cost efficiency. Our leadership in autonomous driving,
industry know-how, operating experience, transportation ecosystem understanding (from our smart transportation projects and maps), and cost
advantage give us strong competitive advantages in leading the development of the intelligent driving industry.
Apollo Self-Driving Services and DuerOS for Auto. We have been investing in autonomous driving technology to provide automakers with
self-driving services. Under Apollo Self-Driving, we offer HD Map, AVP (automated valet parking) and ANP (Apollo navigation pilot). We introduced
AVP (our automated valet parking) services in 2018, which allow a driver to get out of the car upon arrival at his or her destination and our solution
would enable the vehicle to autopark, and to direct the vehicle to automatically drive to driver’s location out of the parking lot. In December 2020, we
introduced ANP (Apollo navigation pilot) services, which leverage our autonomous driving capabilities. In 2021, WM Motor, a Chinese EV OEM,
signed with Baidu to install Apollo navigation pilot in its new W6 SUVs, Great Wall Motors chose to feature Apollo AVP. DuerOS for Auto, our
infotainment solution to automakers, strengthens our partnership with automakers. As of December 31, 2021, Apollo partner network grew to over 30
makes, including those from automakers like GM, Ford, Toyota, and Great Wall. These products are in the early stage of monetization and their revenue
contribution is insignificant.
Apollo Robotaxi. Robotaxi fleet operation represents a massive opportunity. Apollo Go, our robotaxi service, is now available in 8 cities,
including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Changsha, Cangzhou and Yangquan. Luobokuaipao, the mobile application of Apollo
Go, is available for download for free from all the major app stores in China. Apollo Go has begun to charge fees for the autonomous ride-hailing
services on open roads in Beijing since November 25, 2021, in Chongqing since February 18, 2022, and in Yangquan since February 27, 2022.
In 2021, our fully autonomous ride-hailing service opened to the public at the Shougang Park, a Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics site. In June 2021,
we introduced Apollo Moon, 5th generation Apollo robotaxi vehicles.
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In addition, Apollo Go benefit from our unique holistic approach, which synergizes our ACE smart transportation solution, autonomous vehicles, maps
and cloud services to improve the safety performance on China’s complicated urban roadways.
Intelligent EVs. We formed a new EV as a joint venture, Jidu Auto, that we established with Geely and entered into a strategic partnership with
Geely in January 2021. We will provide intelligent driving capabilities to power the passenger vehicles, and Geely, which holds the distinction of best-
selling Chinese automobile brand in past years under the Volvo and Geely brands, will contribute its expertise in automobile engineering and
manufacturing. In March 2021, we launched Jidu Auto in the partnership with Geely. Jidu has completed its first vehicle wind-tunnel testing with a full
size oil and clay model, eight months after its chief executive officer joined. As of the date of this annual report, Jidu’s financial results have not been
consolidated into our financial statements and we accounted for the investment as an equity method investment.
OGI
DuerOS Smart Assistant. DuerOS is a leading smart assistant for the Chinese language, which powers first-party Xiaodu home smart devices
and smart earphones, as well as third-party smart phones, children smart watches and story machines. DuerOS is differentiated by its multi-round
conversation AI capabilities, leveraging internally designed Baidu Honghu AI chip, as well as by DuerOS skills store, which offers thousands of skills in
wide ranging genres, including short and long videos, online games, education services, video conferencing and other visually oriented activities. In
August 2021, Xiaodu completed Series B financing at a valuation of US$5.1 billion with us retaining super-majority shareholding. While we generate
revenue primarily from the sale of our smart assistant devices to our customers directly and through our distribution network, Xiaodu services revenue,
such as advertising and membership, already surpassed 10% of Xiaodu revenues.
Baidu Health. Baidu Health’s goal is to provide doctors and hospitals more efficient online presence, through Baidu healthcare Wiki, short-term
videos, live streaming seminars, and telemedicine, as well as providing them with hosted management tools to remain in contact with their patients
efficiently, such as messaging, appointment re-scheduling and monitoring of treatment plans. In addition, Baidu Health help users find the doctor and
hospital that best suits their different healthcare needs. Through our AI building blocks, we promote an information to social to purchase workflow,
while connecting users to doctors and hospitals to improve their wellness over a lifetime. In 2021, we enabled doctors in our network to write
prescription for online consultation and home delivery, becoming a closed-looped platform from telehealth, to online prescription, to home delivery.
Baidu Maps. A voice-enabled mobile app providing users with travel-related services, including POI (point of interest) search, route planning,
precise navigation, taxi-hailing service and real-time traffic condition information. Baidu Maps also provides professional and stable map services to
business partners across different sectors.
iQIYI
iQIYI is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China. iQIYI’s platform features a variety of premium video content, in
particular iQIYI dramas and shows. iQIYI also expands its premium content offering through licenses and partnerships, which supplement its original
content content.
Since the beginning, iQIYI has always put content and users at the center, orienting each of its business strategies around delivering superior
content quality and user-friendliness. Artistically crafted and imbued with industry expertise distilled from over a decade of operational experience,
many iQIYI original titles have secured their places among the most successful IP franchises in the history of Chinese popular entertainment. Designed
and refined by its engineers with a deep understanding of the evolving user preferences, iQIYI’s products continue to offer superior entertainment
experience for users. With over 50 in-house studios spearheading its
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original content production, iQIYI is home to many acclaimed original drama series and variety show franchises, and has successfully serialized iQIYI’s
original content into blockbuster sequels to accumulate and amplify IP value overtime. iQIYI also expands its premium content offering through licenses
and partnerships, which supplement its original content.
Professionally Produced Content (PPC) iQIYI’s PPC mainly includes original content and licensed content. As of December 31, 2021, iQIYI
had over 40,000 PPC titles in iQIYI’s comprehensive and diversified video content library, comprised of drama series, variety shows, films and others.
(i)
Original content.
iQIYI’s original content includes content produced in-house and content produced in collaboration with quality third-party partners.
iQiyi’s original content titles include popular drama series, such as The Lost Tomb, The Thunder, Feng Qi Luoyang, and the titles
launched under its Theater Model including The Bad Kids, The Long Night and Who is the Murderer; popular variety shows, such as The
Big Band, Qipa Talk, The Detectives’ Adventures and Super Sketch Show; high-quality movies, such as Mirrors and Feathers, Tough Out,
Break Through the Darkness and Northeastern Bro; and popular animations, such as Deer Squad, The World of Fantasy and Beyond the
Ocean. iQIYI obtains the IP through production, adaptation or purchase from third parties, while the partners, typically established
entertainment production companies, are responsible for content development and production. iQIYI maintains a high degree of control
during the content development and production process.
iQiyi also adapts high-quality video IP into multiple entertainment products, such as online games, animations, online literature, and
derivative merchandise.
(ii)
Licensed content.
In addition to original content, iQIYI also provides users with a curated selection of high-quality PPC from third parties. Leveraging
iQIYI’s expertise in content selection, iQIYI has successfully debuted well-received titles such as drama series iPartment, In the Name of
People, Go Go Squid, Qing Yu Nian, My Heroic Husband, and variety show Keep Running Season V. iQIYI’s licensed content library also
features a rich collection of movies, animations, documentaries and other content.
iQIYI licenses video content typically at fixed rates for a specified term. The average term of licenses varies depending on the type of
content, with films and drama series having an average term of nine years and eleven years, respectively. Payments of licensing fees are
generally made in installments upon signing of the contacts and during the license period. iQIYI also exchanges rights to distribute
licensed content with other internet video streaming services to enrich our content library. In certain cases, iQIYI has the right of first
refusal to purchase new content produced by the licensor.
iQIYI leverages its content procurement team’s insights and its AI-based big data analytics capabilities to optimize content procurement.
iQIYI has established strong partnerships with content providers to ensure access to high-quality content. These partners include leading
domestic drama series production companies, film production companies and TV stations, “Big Six” Hollywood production studios, top
TV networks in the U.S., etc.
Other Video Content. iQIYI offers a broad base of other video content with all kinds of genres, formats, and lengths of duration, such as internet
movies and dramas, mini variety shows and animations, interactive videos, vertical or horizontal videos, as well as grassroot or influencer uploaded
videos, edited video clips, and video blogs, or Vlogs, among others. iQIYI’s other video content expands its library and allows it to capture a broader
user base, drive user engagement and enhance user stickiness.
iQIYI has developed a diversified monetization model to capture multiple opportunities in the online entertainment industry in China. iQIYI
generates revenues through membership services, online advertising
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services and a suite of other monetization methods. It pioneered a large scale paid content subscription business in China. It appeals to advertisers
through broad and efficient user reach, as well as innovative and effective advertising products. iQIYI’s sophisticated monetization model fosters an
environment for high-quality content production and distribution on its platform, which in turn expands its user base and increases user engagement,
creating a virtuous cycle.
Membership Services. iQIYI’s membership services generally provide subscribing members with superior entertainment experience that is
embodied in various membership privileges. Subscribing members have access to a large collection of VIP-only content comprising drama series,
movies, animations, and cartoons, among others, and have earlier access to certain content aired on the iQIYI platform. For example, the members-first
model of The Lost Tomb enabled members to gain instant access to the entire season while non-paying users could only follow weekly updates for new
episodes; the viewing model of Descendants of the Sun allowed members to watch new episodes at the same time they were released overseas; and
certain auxiliary content of The Detectives’ Adventures was exclusively accessible to our members. The average daily number of subscribing members
in 2021 was 101.6 million, as compared to 110.3 million in 2020. The average daily number of subscribing members excluding individuals with trial
memberships was 100.7 million in 2021, as compared to 109.4 million in 2020.
Online Advertising. The prices of iQIYI’s advertising services depend upon various factors, including form and size of the advertising, level of
sponsorship, popularity of the content or event in which the advertisements will be placed, and specific targeting requirements. Prices for the brand
advertising service purchased by each advertiser or advertising agency are generally fixed under sales contracts.
Content Distribution. iQIYI sub-licenses content within its authorized scope to TV stations and other internet video streaming services. iQIYI
also entered into barter agreements to exchange internet broadcasting rights with other internet video streaming services. The barter agreement provides
the licensee with the right to broadcast the licensed content, and the licensor retains the right to continue broadcasting and/or sub-licensing the
exchanged content. We distribute our selected content not only to third-party platforms in China but also to regions outside of China.
Others. Other monetization models include online games, live streaming, IP licensing, talent agency, online literature and others.
Technology
We focus on technology and innovation. To stay at the forefront of the internet industry and to achieve long-term growth and success, we invest
heavily in research and development. We have established several research labs in China and the United States, to enhance our research and
development capabilities, including AI, quantum computing and other areas.
Baidu AI
We have been investing in AI since 2010, and have developed “Baidu Brain,” our core AI technology engine, which has become a powerful
technology platform that powers all of our business. We have opened up our AI platform to a large community of developers, which helps improve our
AI capabilities and accelerate large-scale implementation of our AI. Request on Baidu Brain has peaked over 1 trillion hits per day in 2021.
Our AI capabilities encapsulated on Baidu Brain consist of four layers and one module, as follows:
•
•
a foundation layer, consisting of PaddlePaddle, our open source deep learning framework and platform, as software, Kunlun AI chips as
hardware and databases as fuel;
a perception layer, aggregating internally developed algorithms for speech recognition and synthesis, computer vision and augmented
reality & virtual reality;
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•
•
•
a cognition layer, consisting of algorithms for natural language processing and knowledge graph;
a platform layer, opening our technologies to partners and developers to develop a strong AI ecosystem; and
an AI security module that ensures Baidu Brain’s security, safety and privacy.
AI Capabilities. Baidu Brain enables integrated innovation and expands the usage of AI solutions in a wider range of industries. Baidu Brain first
launched as a platform in 2016, and we launched Baidu Brain 7.0, the latest version of Baidu’s open AI platform, in August 2021. Baidu Brain 7.0
demonstrates our expertise in AI technologies and industrial practice, and our efforts to make AI technology more accessible.
Baidu released ERNIE 3.0 Titan, a pre-training language model with 260 billion parameters. ERNIE 3.0 Titan is trained on a vast knowledge
graph and massive unstructured data. ERNIE 3.0 Titan has achieved SOTA outcomes in over 60 NLP tasks, including machine reading comprehension,
text categorization, and semantic similarity, among others. The model also performs well in 30 few-shot and zero-shot benchmarks. This shows that it
can generalize across various downstream tasks with a small quantity of labeled data and decrease the threshold of recognition. ERNIE 3.0 Titan
improves the performance of Baidu Brain, allowing Baidu Brain to better understand and address the real-world problems by building industrial
applications.
By integrating different AI technologies such as natural language processing, speech and vision recognition, Baidu Brain is able to quickly and
efficiently perceive and understand the real natural language processing framework like human beings.
Baidu Brain powers AI applications in various industries and are fully integrated with different scenarios for innovation. Powered by Baidu Brain,
our AI Cloud business has made various AI applications for the utility, public service, manufacturing and other traditional industries to help our
customers improve efficiency through technology innovation.
In terms of software and hardware integration, Baidu independently developed AI chip, Baidu Kunlun, optimized for voice, natural language
processing, image and other AI technologies, is capable of supporting deep learning frameworks such as PaddlePaddle, and flexibly supports training
and prediction, making AI models more efficient in computing and within the application. In addition, the Baidu Honghu chip was developed for
far-field voice interaction, making voice interaction between people and cars, smart homes and other devices easier and more fluent. Separately, Baidu
also works with partners to build hardware ecology. As of December 31, 2021, PaddlePaddle has been equipped with more than 30 chips.
PaddlePaddle. PaddlePaddle is Baidu’s self-developed deep learning framework, which we open-sourced in 2016. PaddlePaddle aims to solve a
real problem for the public service sector and traditional industries, and enables developers to implement AI technologies efficiently. PaddlePaddle
provides: (i) a deep learning framework based on programming logic enabling both development flexibility and stability; (ii) the ultra-large-scale
training capacity for real-time updates of trillion-level parameters of deep learning models; (iii) end-to-end deployment of high-performance inference
engines designed for diverse platforms and devices; and (iv) open-source industry-grade models covering a wide range of applications. PaddlePaddle
has boosted the diversification and scaling of AI applications. In December 2021, PaddlePaddle developer community grew to 4.06 million and serves
over 157,000 businesses. In addition, Baidu has partnered with academics and industry to develop AI talents.
AI Chips. Baidu AI Chip, which was introduced in 2018, is a cloud-to-edge AI chip specifically designed for Baidu’s computing environment. As
of December 31, 2021, both Baidu AI Chip I and Baidu AI Chip II have been in mass production. Baidu AI chips have been used for our search engine,
cloud, and Xiaodu’s business needs, while powering our deep learning computing needs. For example, the Baidu AI Chip II optimizes our AI
technologies such as voice, natural language processing and images and support deep learning frameworks such
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as Baidu’s open source deep learning platform, PaddlePaddle. The diverse range of uses enables Baidu AI Chip II to power different AI applications,
such as Internet core algorithms, smart cities and smart industry. Furthermore, Baidu AI Chip optimizes our AI capabilities on AI Cloud servers while
improving cost efficiency. Baidu AI Chip completed its first-round of funding at a post-money valuation of US$2 billion in April 2021. In addition, we
have also developed Baidu Honghu to power DuerOS smart devices and in-vehicle infotainment to improve speech recognition performance and
provide a cost advantage in our AI offerings.
We have also developed a proprietary technological infrastructure which consists of technologies for search, marketing services, and large-scale
systems. Our established infrastructure serves as the backbone for AI, mobile and PC platforms.
Mobile Ecosystem Technologies
Search Technologies.
Our search is powered by a set of industry-leading technologies, including the following, among others:
Ranking. We compare search queries with the content on web pages to help determine relevance. We have significantly improved the relevancy,
freshness and authority of ranking using our machine learning modules to analyze the rich content on the Internet and user intent, to prioritize the search
results. We began using machine learning in 2010, to better understand the semantics beyond simple text of the search keywords, and in 2013, we began
to apply deep learning in our search ranking system, which is playing an increasingly important role. In 2019, we began to develop Top 1 (satisfying
user with the first search result) by significantly enhancing the results of question parsing and analysis, answer matching, extraction, page content
understanding and other aspects of our search engine, which has greatly improved user satisfaction with our search products.
Multi-modal search. We have greatly improved the accuracy of speech recognition in scenarios, such as long sentences, mixed Chinese and
English, and strong accent, and thus significantly improve user satisfaction of our speech search. We have built a terminal visual interaction engine v1.0
for visual search and facilitated the implementation of convolutional neural network models, reducing the training costs through unsupervised or semi-
supervised models.
Marketing Services Technologies. Our marketing services platform serves billions of relevant, targeted sponsored links each day based on search
terms users enter or content they view on web pages or in our apps. Our key marketing services technologies include Phoenix Nest, a web-based auction
system to enable customers to bid for keywords and automatically deliver relevant, targeted promotional links on Baidu’s properties and Baidu Union
partners’ properties. Designed to generate more relevant results, Phoenix Nest helps customers to identify popular keywords and provides them with
tools for budget management and marketing effectiveness measurement.
Large-Scale Systems and Technologies. Our large scale and massive amounts of user traffic require our systems to efficiently and effectively
allocate resources among the products and services in our large product portfolio. Our key large-scale systems and technologies include our internally
developed automated management platform for large size clusters, which enables us to intelligently manage and allocate resources and automatically
debug and relocate services, thereby, allowing the huge volume of requests on Baidu search platform to function stably across multiple internet data
centers and a large network of servers.
Research and Development
We have a team of experienced engineers who are based mostly in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. We also have development centers in
Sunnyvale, California and Seattle, Washington. We compete aggressively for engineering and recruit most of our engineers locally and have established
various recruiting and training programs with leading universities in China. We have also recruited experienced engineers globally.
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In the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, our research and development expenditures were RMB18.3 billion, RMB19.5 billion and
RMB24.9 billion (US$3.9 billion), representing 17%, 18% and 20% of our total revenues, respectively. Our research and development expenses
primarily consist of salaries and benefits for research and development personnel. We expense research and development costs as they are incurred,
except for capitalized software development costs that fulfill the capitalization criteria.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection laws in China and other jurisdictions, as well as
confidentiality procedures and contractual provisions, to protect our intellectual property and our brand. We have over 10,600 issued patents in China
covering invention, utility model and design, and intend to apply for more patents to protect our core technologies and intellectual property. We also
enter into confidentiality, non-compete and invention assignment agreements with our employees and consultants, and nondisclosure agreements with
selected third parties. “百度,” our company’s name “Baidu” in Chinese, has been recognized as a well-known trademark in China by the Trademark
” and the related logos, we have applied for
Office of National Intellectual Property Administration under the SAMR. In addition to owning “
registration of various other trademarks. We also have registered certain trademarks in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the European Union and several other
jurisdictions. In addition, we have registered our domain name baidu.com and certain other domain names with authorized registrars of ICANN (Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). We have also successfully become designated Registry Operator for .baidu top-level domain names by
ICANN.
Internet, technology and media companies are frequently involved in litigation based on allegations of infringement or other violations of
intellectual property rights. Furthermore, the application of laws governing intellectual property rights in China and abroad is uncertain and evolving and
could involve substantial risks to us. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business Industry—We may face
intellectual property infringement claims and other related claims, which could be time-consuming and costly to defend and may result in an adverse
impact over our operations” and “—We may be subject to patent infringement claims with respect to our P4P platform.”
Sales and Distribution
We offer products and services for Baidu Mobile Ecosystem through our network of third-party agents and our direct sales team. We typically
enter into framework sales agreements with third-party agents, where third-party agents will sell online marketing services to customers such as SMEs,
domestic businesses and multinational companies on our behalf. The sales agreements typically limit the industry focus of the third-party agents. The
third-party agents provide our online marketing customers with numerous services, including identifying customers, collecting payments, assisting
customers in setting up accounts with us, suggesting keywords to maximize ROI and engaging in other marketing and educational services aimed at
acquiring customers. We have direct sales presence in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and other cities, covering the major regional markets
for our online marketing services and other services. We cover our key accounts through direct sales team and enter into agreements with such key
accounts directly.
For AI Cloud, we sell our cloud solutions including IaaS, PaaS and SaaS to our enterprise clients directly or through solution integrators. We offer
smart transportation solutions directly to provide tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of our clients.
For Intelligent Driving and OGI, we sell our products and services to our clients directly and through our third-party agents.
iQIYI’s brand advertising is sold through third-party advertising agencies, including members of American Association of Advertising Agencies,
or 4As, and leading Chinese advertising agencies, as well as through a
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direct sales force. Feed advertising services is sold primarily through third-party advertising agencies, whose existing long-term relationships and
network resources we strategically leverage, to increase our sales and expand our advertiser base.
Marketing
We focus on continually improving the quality of our products and services, as we believe satisfied users and customers are more likely to
recommend our products and services to others. Through these efforts and the increased use of internet in China, we have built our brand with modest
marketing expenditures.
We have implemented a number of marketing initiatives designed to promote our brand awareness among potential users, customers and Baidu
Union partners. In addition to our brand positioning in the market, we have also initiated a series of marketing activities to promote our products and
technologies among existing and potential users and customers, including, but not limited to, Baidu World Conference.
Competition
For Baidu Core business, our primary competitors are mainly internet companies and online marketing platforms in China. We compete with these
entities for both users and customers on the basis of user traffic, cyber security, quality (relevance) of search (and other marketing and advertising)
results, availability and user experience of products and services, distribution channels and the number of associated third-party websites. We also face
competition from U.S.-based internet search providers providing Chinese language services and online marketing platforms, as well as traditional
advertising media.
Online Marketing Platforms, Internet, Cloud and Smart Device Companies in China. Chinese internet companies, such as Alibaba, Tencent,
ByteDance and Xiaomi offer a broad range of online services, including search, feed, cloud services and smart devices. These companies have widely
recognized brand names in China and significant financial resources. Furthermore, some of these companies are private and are able to expend
significant resources without consideration for near-term return on investment. We compete with these companies primarily for user traffic, user time,
content, advertising budget, marketing resources and enterprise customers, in particular in the traditional industries and the public service sector. We
also compete with Huawei and Kingsoft cloud for our cloud offerings. We leverage our AI technology, user traffic, product design and various
marketing to enhance users’ reliance on and customers’ stickiness on our platforms and services.
U.S.-based Internet Search Providers and Online Marketing Platforms. U.S.-based internet search providers and online marketing platforms, such
as Microsoft, Google and Facebook, have a strong global presence, well established brand names, more users and customers and significantly greater
financial resources than we do. We may also continue to face competition from other existing competitors and new entrants in the markets of Chinese
language search and online marketing.
Other Advertising Media. Other advertising media, such as newspapers, yellow pages, magazines, billboards, other forms of outdoor media,
television, radio and mobile apps compete for a share of our customers’ marketing budgets.
Intelligent Driving. In the field of self-driving services, we compete with self-driving system providers. In the field of robotaxi services, we
compete with other autonomous ride-hailing service providers. However, we believe that we have competitive advantage over existing and potential
competitors due to our holistic approach, which synergizes our ACE smart transportation solution, autonomous vehicles, maps and cloud services to
improve the safety performance on China’s complicated urban roadways.
iQIYI competes with Tencent Video, Youku, Mango TV and Bilibili for both users and advertising customers. iQIYI also competes with other
internet media and entertainment services, such as internet and social
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platforms and short-form video platforms, as well as major television stations. iQIYI competes with these market players primarily on the basis of
obtaining IP rights to popular content, conducting brand promotions and other marketing activities, and making investments in and acquisitions of
business partners.
Our user traffic tends to be seasonal. For example, we generally experience less user traffic during public holidays and other special event periods
in China. In addition, advertising and other marketing spending in China has historically been cyclical, reflecting overall economic conditions as well as
budgeting and buying patterns. Our results of operations may fluctuate due to the cyclicality and seasonality in our business.
Our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiatives
We are committed to corporate social responsibility and meeting society’s changing needs despite the challenging economic environment. We
have established an internal environmental, social and governance communications and management mechanism to comprehensively improve our
corporate governance and benefit society.
We have continuously improved our corporate social responsibility initiatives under the guidance of our ESG framework. We appreciate the
oversight, guidance and feedback from different parties and are committed to collaborating closely with domestic and international organizations to
support broader industry-wide ESG practices, to explore multi-dimensional use cases for our technology, to empower traditional industries with our
capabilities and to promote a healthier lifestyle and the long-term sustainability of our society. In June 2021, we announced our goal to become carbon
neutral by 2030.
Environmentally Sustainable Mindset
We are a strong supporter of the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We have participated in the Climate Group’s EV100 campaign, a global initiative bringing together forward-looking companies committed to
accelerating the transition to electric transportation, and are committed to making Baidu a low-carbon, energy-efficient and eco-friendly company
through concrete actions. For example, to improve energy efficiency, we implemented various power supply solutions including HVDC offline and BBU
(Battery Back-up Unit) in our data centers. Furthermore, our data centers are equipped with large-scale water cooling systems with a free cooling
module and OCU (Overhead Cooling Unit) supplemented by fine-tuning operation optimization. As a result of these measures, we improved power
usage effectiveness (PUE) of our data centers and further reduced our carbon emissions. We have also adopted various water and energy conservation
measures, such as recycling heat energy and introducing electric commuter shuttle busses on our campus to make our offices more environmentally
friendly.
While we rigorously implement environmentally sustainable policies and initiatives, we also encourage our users and the general public to adopt
similar measures. For example, by adding new features to the app, we encourage the users of Baidu Maps app to take eco-friendly transportation options
including biking and walking to reduce carbon emissions. We have received various awards in recognition of our ESG efforts. In 2021, Baidu’s offices
in Beijing achieved accreditation for ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System, our low-carbon business practices being featured in the UN Global
Compact Corporate Net Zero Pathway Report as well as our data center in Yangquan, Shanxi being awarded the carbon neutral data center leader (5A)
certification (highest rating of green data centers).
Building Social Trust and Developing Talent
Cybersecurity and Privacy Protection. As a reputable hi-tech company serving a large community of users, we put data privacy protection and
data security as our top priorities. In October 2021, we established a data management committee to consolidate the existing committees on data
management, data privacy & protection and data security, to further improve our policies and oversight over data management. We
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communicate with our users in an easy-to-understand manner to help them understand their rights under applicable laws and regulations. Through our
data privacy and data security policies, users can learn about and control how their data is used and provide consent for data collection when necessary.
We have put in place a comprehensive auditing mechanism across our business to keep track of the data privacy and data security actions taken
throughout the lifecycle of our products and services. We utilize a complete set of data privacy and data security management systems that allow us to
continuously review and improve our processes. We have designed the General Privacy Policies and have drawn up specific privacy policies for
individual products and services. We have also built an independent one-stop privacy protection platform, from which users can learn about our data
privacy policies and provide feedback. We believe that we can make a complex world simpler through AI, but such vision can only be realized if AI is
used properly.
Outlook on Talent and Organizational Development. Our employees are our most important asset. To promote work-life balance for our
employees, we have adopted flexible working arrangements and a system of paid leave and compensatory leave, in addition to statutory annual leave.
Since 2019, we have been working with an insurance company to introduce commercial healthcare coverage for both our employees and their parents.
We are an early adopter among Chinese internet companies to offer such customized coverage. Moreover, we provide a multitude of benefits to our
employees and their family members, including pregnant and nursing employees. We cater for female employees via return-to-work celebrations after
childbirth, a maternity room to give breastfeeding mothers privacy, gift bags on Women’s Day, and a women’s club that encourages communication and
the organization of activities.
To better understand employees’ level of satisfaction, assist employees in addressing work challenges and improve our overall work environment,
we conduct annual human capital assessment surveys with all of our employees. We also provide a variety of channels for employees to provide
feedback and file complaints. We fully respect and value our employees’ suggestions and feedback.
As a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact, Baidu observes international treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and has formulated
the Baidu Human Rights Policy. In the Human Rights Policy, we state we are committed to and guarantee a respectful and dignified work environment
for all employees. We provide equal opportunities for everyone in recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, and compensation and benefits, and strictly
prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, color, age, nationality, religion, physical disability, marital status, or other characteristics
protected by law. We have zero-tolerance policies for any form of harassment, abuse, and coercion in the workplace and in any work-related
environment outside the company. We protect all employees, especially women, from unfair treatment and retaliation.
Innovation and Practice in Social Responsibility
We care about the society that we live in, and we encourage our employees across different product lines to leverage Baidu AI technologies to
make our community a better place for everyone. In 2021, Xiaodu launched “visual assistance” to enable visually impaired voice control and on-demand
screen-text reading for a smoother audio experience.
We have been committed to addressing social problems with honors social responsibility as a corporate citizen. To support the post-disaster
recovery, we donated RMB90 million to help Henan province cope with its natural disaster in July 2021, and donated RMB50 million help Shanxi
province cope with its natural disaster in October 2021.
Building on our close communication and collaboration with all stakeholders, we will continue to benefit our society. As part of our efforts to
create value for our society, we attach great importance to communication and engagement with our users, partners, social organizations and third-party
agencies.
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Regulations
The PRC government extensively regulates the telecommunications industry, including the internet sector. The State Council, the MIIT and other
relevant government authorities have promulgated an extensive regulatory scheme governing internet-related services. This section summarizes the
principal PRC laws and regulations relating to our business.
In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel, (i) the ownership structure relating to our consolidated affiliated entities complies
with current PRC laws and regulations; (ii) subject to the disclosure and risks disclosed under “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks
Related to Our Corporate Structure,” “—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” and “—Regulations,” our contractual arrangements with our
consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders constituted legal, valid and binding obligation of all parties to these arrangements and the
execution, delivery, and performance of our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders do not violate (x) any provisions of the articles
of association and business licenses of such consolidated affiliated entity and (y) any current PRC laws or regulations; and (iii) subject to the disclosure
and risks disclosed under “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure,” “—Risks Related to Doing Business
in China” and “—Regulations,” the business operations of our consolidated affiliated entities, as described herein, comply with current PRC laws and
regulations in all material respects.
China’s internet industry, online marketing market and e-commerce market are evolving. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the
interpretation and application of existing or proposed PRC laws and regulations. We cannot assure you that the PRC regulatory authorities would find
that our corporate structure and our business operations comply with PRC laws and regulations. If the PRC government finds us to be in violation of
PRC laws and regulations, we may be required to pay fines and penalties, obtain certain licenses or permits and change, suspend or discontinue our
business operations until we comply with applicable PRC laws and regulations.
Regulations on Foreign Investment
On January 1, 2020, the Foreign Investment Law and the Regulations for Implementation of the Foreign Investment Law, or the Implementation
Regulations, came into effect and became the principal laws and regulations governing foreign investment in the PRC, replacing the trio of prior laws
regulating foreign investment in the PRC, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture
Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations.
According to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities conducted directly or indirectly by foreign
individuals, enterprises or other entities in the PRC, including the following circumstances: (i) the establishment of foreign-invested enterprises in the
PRC by foreign investors solely or jointly with other investors, (ii) a foreign investors’ acquisition of shares, equity interests, property portions or other
similar rights and interests of enterprises in the PRC, (iii) investment in new projects in the PRC by foreign investors solely or jointly with other
investors, and (iv) investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by
the State Council.
Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, the PRC has adopted a reformed system with respect to foreign investment administration, under which
the Chinese government applies national treatment to foreign investors in terms of investment entry and the foreign investor needs to comply with the
requirements as provided in the negative list for foreign investment. The negative list will be issued by, amended or released upon approval by the State
Council, from time to time. The negative list will consist of a list of industries in which foreign investments are prohibited and a list of industries in
which foreign investments are restricted. Foreign investors will be prohibited from making investments in prohibited industries, while foreign
investments must satisfy
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certain conditions stipulated in the negative list for investments in restricted industries. Foreign investments and domestic investments in industries
outside the scope of the prohibited industries and restricted industries stipulated in the negative list will be treated equally. Any foreign-invested
enterprise established prior to the effectiveness of the Foreign Investment Law may maintain its original corporate forms for a period of five years after
January 1, 2020.
The Implementation Regulations restates certain principles of the Foreign Investment Law and further provides that, among others, (1) if a
foreign-invested enterprise established prior to the effective date of the Foreign Investment Law fails to adjust its legal form or governance structure to
comply with the provisions of the Companies Law of the PRC or the Partnership Enterprises Law of the PRC as applicable and complete amendment
registration before January 1, 2025, the enterprise registration authority will not process other registration matters of the foreign-invested enterprise and
may publicize such non-compliance thereafter; (2) the provisions regarding equity interest transfer and distribution of profits and remaining assets as
stipulated in the contracts among the joint venture parties of a foreign-invested enterprise established before the effective date of the Foreign Investment
Law may, after adjustment of the legal form and governing structure of such foreign-invested enterprise, remain binding upon the parties.
On December 31, 2019, the MOFCOM and the SAMR jointly promulgated the Measures for Information Reporting on Foreign Investment, which
became effective on January 1, 2020. Pursuant to the measures, where a foreign investor directly or indirectly carries out investment activities in China,
the foreign investor or the foreign-invested enterprise must submit the investment information to the competent commerce department for further
handling.
In December 2020, the NDRC and the MOFCOM promulgated the Measures for the Security Review of Foreign Investment, which came into
effect on January 18, 2021. The NDRC and the MOFCOM will establish a working mechanism office in charge of the security review of foreign
investment. Such measures define foreign investment as direct or indirect investment by foreign investors in the PRC, which includes (i) investment in
new onshore projects or establishment of wholly foreign owned onshore companies or joint ventures with foreign investors; (ii) acquiring equity or asset
of onshore companies by merger and acquisition; and (iii) onshore investment by and through any other means. Investment in certain key areas with
bearing on national security, such as important cultural products and services, important information technology and internet services and products, key
technologies and other important areas with bearing on national security which results in the acquisition of de facto control of investee companies, shall
be filed with a specifically established office before such investment is carried out. What may constitute “onshore investment by and through any other
means” or “de facto control” could be broadly interpreted under such measures. It is likely that control through contractual arrangement be regarded as
de facto control based on provisions applied to security review of foreign investment in the free trade zone. Failure to make such filing may subject such
foreign investor to rectification within prescribed period, and will be recorded as negative credit information of such foreign investor in the relevant
national credit information system, which would then subject such investors to joint punishment as provided by relevant rules. If such investor fails to or
refuses to undertake such rectification, it would be ordered to dispose of the equity or asset and to take any other necessary measures so as to return to
the status quo and to erase the impact to national security.
Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunications Services and Internet Content Services
Value-added telecommunications services and Internet content services. The Telecommunications Regulations of the PRC promulgated by the
PRC State Council in September 2000, which were most recently amended in February 2016, categorize all telecommunication businesses in the PRC as
either basic or value-added. Pursuant to the Telecommunications Regulations, commercial operators of value-added telecommunications services must
first obtain a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. The Administrative
Measures for Telecommunication Business Operating License, promulgated by the MIIT with latest amendments becoming effective in September
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2017, set forth the types of licenses required for value-added telecommunications services and the qualifications and procedures for obtaining such
licenses. For example, a value-added telecommunications service operator providing commercial value-added services in multiple provinces is required
to obtain an inter-regional license, whereas a value-added telecommunications service operator providing the same services in one province is required
to obtain a local license. Baidu Netcom and some of our other PRC consolidated affiliated entities hold such Value-Added Telecommunication Business
Operating Licenses.
Internet content services, or ICP services, are classified as one of the value-added telecommunication businesses. The Administrative Measures on
Internet Information Services, promulgated by the PRC State Council in September 2000 and amended in January 2011, require companies engaged in
the provision of commercial internet content services to obtain a Value-added Telecommunication Business Operation Permit for ICP services, or an ICP
license from the relevant government authorities before providing any commercial internet content services within the PRC. “Commercial internet
content services” generally refer to provision of information service through public telecommunication network or internet for a fee. The Catalog of
Classification of Telecommunications Services promulgated by the MIIT in December 2015 and amended in June 2019 further divides ICP services into
information publication platform and delivery services, information search and inquiry services, information communities platform services, instant
message services, and information security and management services. We do not believe our P4P services conducted by our certain PRC subsidiaries are
categorized as part of internet content services that require an ICP license under these regulations. Although Baidu Online conducts part of the P4P
business by, among other things, examining and filtering P4P keywords, interacting with potential P4P customers, engaging in sales activities with our
customers, P4P search results are displayed on the websites operated by Baidu Netcom, including baidu.com. Baidu Netcom, as the owner of our
domain name baidu.com and holder of the necessary licenses and approvals, such as an ICP license, operates the website to list P4P search results and
display other marketing and advertising content as an online marketing service provider.
In June 2020, MIIT promulgated the Notice regarding Strengthening the Management of Call Center Business, which has strengthening the
management on the admittance, codes, accessing, operation activities and certain other items.
Regulations on Content. National security considerations are an important factor in the regulation of internet content in the PRC. The National
People’s Congress, the PRC’s national legislature, has enacted laws with respect to maintaining the security of internet operation and internet content.
Under these laws and applicable regulations, violators may be subject to penalties, including criminal sanctions, for internet content that:
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opposes the fundamental principles stated in the PRC constitution;
compromises national security, divulges state secrets, subverts state power or damages national unity;
harms the dignity or interests of the state;
incites ethnic hatred or racial discrimination or damages inter-ethnic unity;
undermines the PRC’s religious policy or propagates heretical teachings or feudal superstitions;
disseminates rumors, disturbs social order or disrupts social stability;
disseminates obscenity or pornography, encourages gambling, violence, murder or fear or incites the commission of a crime;
insults or slanders a third party or infringes upon the lawful rights and interests of a third party; or
is otherwise prohibited by law or administrative regulations.
ICP operators are required to monitor their websites, including electronic bulletin boards. They may not post or disseminate any content that falls
within the prohibited categories and must remove any such content from
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their websites. The PRC government may shut down the websites of ICP license holders that violate any of the above-mentioned content restrictions and
revoke their ICP licenses. For instance, in 2017, the CAC issued a series of regulatory documents providing that an ICP operator is obligated to monitor
contents displayed and disseminated by users on its platform. These regulations apply to online services, including (i) online forum and community
service, which allows users to publish information and interact with other users on an online forum, post bar or other form of online communities,
(ii) online follow-up comment service, which allows users to post threads, reply to original content, leave messages and engage in live commenting with
texts, symbols, expressions, pictures, audio/video on a website, mobile app or other forms of interactive platform; (iii) online group chat information
service, which allows users to communicate and exchange information in a cyberspace created by the users on an online platform; (iv) online official
account information service, which allows users to post texts, pictures, audio/video and other information in the form of an official account registered by
the user on a website, mobile app or other network platform. Pursuant to these regulations, a service provider is required to, among others, (x) register
and verify the identity information of each user, and (y) in the case of publication or dissemination of prohibited contents on the platform, take prompt
rectification measures, including removing and terminating transmission of the illegal content, restricting the user right of the offender, banning the user
account and shutting down the relevant forum or channel, and report to the regulatory authority. On January 22, 2021, the CAC revised and promulgated
the Administrative Provisions on the Information Services Provided through Official Accounts of Internet Users, which requires, among others, that
information service platforms for public accounts shall perform their responsibilities, establish systems such as those for the hierarchical or classified
management of public accounts, ecological governance, copyright protection, and credit evaluation, and improve management measures such as public
account registration verification, qualification examination, and disclosure of public account registrants.
In addition, in November 2018, the CAC issued a notice to require ICP operators to conduct security assessments on their Internet information
services if their services include forums, blogs, microblogs, chat rooms, communication groups, public accounts, short videos, online live-streaming,
information sharing, mini programs or such other functions that provide channels for the public to express opinions or have the capability of mobilizing
the public to engage in specific activities. ICP operators must conduct self-assessment on, among others, the legality of new technology involved in the
services and the effectiveness of security risk prevention measures, and file the assessment report to local competent Internet information office and
public security authority. At the end of 2019, the CAC issued the Provisions on the Management of Network Information Content Ecology, or the CAC
Order No. 5, which became effective on March 1, 2020, to further strengthen the regulation and management of network information content. Pursuant
to the CAC Order No. 5, each network information content service platform is required, among others, (i) not to disseminate any information prohibited
by laws and regulations, such as information jeopardizing national security; (ii) to strengthen the examination of advertisements published on such
network information content service platform; (iii) to promulgate management rules and platform convention and improve user agreement, such that
such network information content service platform could clarify users’ rights and obligations and perform management responsibilities required by laws,
regulations, rules and convention; (iv) to establish convenient means for complaints and reports; and (v) to prepare annual work report regarding its
management of network information content ecology. In addition, a network information content service platform must not, among others, (i) utilize
new technologies such as deep-learning and virtual reality to engage in activities prohibited by laws and regulations; (ii) engage in online traffic fraud,
malicious traffic rerouting and other activities related to fraudulent account, illegal transaction account or maneuver of users’ account; or (iii) infringe a
third party’s legitimate rights or seek illegal interests by way of interfering with information display.
On September 15, 2021, the CAC promulgated the Opinions on Further Enforcing Responsibilities on Website Platforms as the Main Responsible
Party for Information Content Management. In accordance with the Opinions, website platforms are required to perform specific responsibilities as the
main responsible party for information content management, including, among others, enhancing the platform community rules, strengthening the
regulation and management of accounts, improving the content vetting mechanism, improving
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the quality of information content, managing the dissemination of information content, and strengthening the management of key functions.
Restrictions on Foreign Ownership in Value-Added Telecommunications Services. Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-
Invested Telecommunications Enterprises, promulgated by the PRC State Council with the latest amendments becoming effective in February 2016, the
ultimate foreign equity ownership in a value-added telecommunications service provider must not exceed 50%. However, the MIIT released an
announcement in June 2015 to remove the restriction on foreign equity for “online data processing and transaction processing businesses (operational
E-commerce)” as provided in the Catalog of Telecommunication Businesses promulgated by the MIIT. The Special Administrative Measures (Negative
List) for Foreign Investment Access (2021 Version) allow a foreign investor to own more than 50% of the total equity interest in an e-commerce
business, a domestic multi-party communication business, an information storage and re-transmission business and a call center business. In order to
acquire any equity interest in a value-added telecommunication business in the PRC, a foreign investor must satisfy a number of stringent performance
and operational experience requirements, including demonstrating a good track record and experience in operating a value-added telecommunication
business overseas. Foreign investors that meet these requirements must obtain approvals from the MIIT and the MOFCOM (or the MOFCOM’s
authorized local counterparts), which retain considerable discretion in granting approvals. According to publicly available information, the PRC
government has issued telecommunication business operating licenses to only a limited number of foreign-invested companies. We believe that it would
be impracticable for us to acquire any equity interest in our consolidated affiliated entities without diverting management attention and resources.
Moreover, we believe that our contractual arrangements with these entities and the individual nominee shareholders provide us with sufficient and
effective control over these entities. Accordingly, we currently do not plan to acquire any equity interest in any of the consolidated affiliated entities.
A Notice on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunications Services, issued by the MIIT in July
2006, prohibits domestic telecommunication service providers from leasing, transferring or selling Telecommunication Business Operating Licenses to
any foreign investor in any form, or providing any resources, sites or facilities to any foreign investor for their illegal operation of a telecommunication
business in the PRC. Pursuant to this notice, either the holder of a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License or its shareholders must
directly own the domain names and trademarks used by such license holder in its provision of value-added telecommunications services. The notice
further requires each license holder to have the necessary facilities, including servers, for its approved business operations and to maintain the facilities
in the regions covered by its license. If a license holder fails to comply with the requirements in the notice or cure any non-compliance, the MIIT or its
local counterparts have the discretion to take measures against the license holder, including revoking its Value-added Telecommunication Business
Operating License. Based on the Notice regarding the Strengthening of Ongoing and Post Administration of Foreign Investment Telecommunication
Enterprises issued by MIIT in October 2020, the MIIT will not issue Examination Letter for Foreign Investment in Telecommunication Business.
Foreign invested enterprises would need to submit relevant foreign investment materials to MIIT for the establishment or change of telecommunication
operating permits.
Due to the restrictions under these PRC regulations, we operate our websites mainly through our PRC consolidated affiliated entities, such as
Baidu Netcom. Baidu Netcom is our PRC consolidated affiliated entity, and is considered a domestic PRC entity under PRC law given that the nominee
shareholders are PRC citizens.
Baidu Netcom and some of our other PRC consolidated affiliated entities holds a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License.
In compliance with the Notice of the MIIT on Intensifying the Administration of Foreign Investment in Value-Added Telecommunications Services,
Baidu Netcom owns the necessary domain names and trademarks, including pending trademark applications, and have the necessary personnel and
facilities to operate our websites.
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Regulations on Mobile Internet Applications
In June 2016, the CAC promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Mobile Internet Application Information Services, or the Mobile
Application Administrative Provisions, which became effective on August 1, 2016. Pursuant to the Mobile Application Administrative Provisions, a
mobile internet app refers to an app software that runs on mobile smart devices providing information services after being pre-installed, downloaded or
embedded through other means. Mobile internet app providers refer to the owners or operators of mobile internet apps. Internet app stores refer to
platforms which provide services related to online browsing, searching and downloading of app software and releasing of development tools and
products through the internet.
Pursuant to the Mobile Application Administrative Provisions, an internet app program provider must verify a user’s mobile phone number and
other identity information under the principle of mandatory real name registration at the back-office end and voluntary real name display at the front-
office end. An internet app provider must not enable functions that can collect a user’s geographical location information, access user’s contact list,
activate the camera or recorder of the user’s mobile smart device or other functions irrelevant to its services, nor is it allowed to conduct bundle
installations of irrelevant app programs, unless it has clearly indicated to the user and obtained the user’s consent on such functions and app programs.
In respect of an internet app store service provider, the Mobile Application Administrative Provisions require that, among others, it must file a record
with the local authority within 30 days after it rolls out the internet app store service online. It must also examine the authenticity, security and legality
of internet app providers on its platform, establish a system to monitor app providers’ credit and file a record of such information with relevant
governmental authorities. If an app provider violates the regulations, the internet app store service provider must take measures to stop the violations,
including giving a warning, suspension of release, withdrawal of the app from the platform, keeping a record of the incident and reporting the incident to
the relevant governmental authorities.
In January 2022, the CAC issued a draft of Administrative Provisions on Mobile Internet Application Information Services, or the Draft Mobile
Application Administrative Provisions, for public comments, which will replace the current Mobile Application Administrative Provisions after it
becomes effective. According to the Draft Mobile Application Administrative Provisions, app providers shall formulate and publish the administrative
rules and platform conventions, and enter into the services agreements with their users, which shall specify the rights and obligations of both parties and
require the users to abide by the laws and regulations. In addition, app providers are also required to (i) establish management mechanism on the
examination of information and contents, (ii) enhance management measures regarding user registration, management of accounts, examination of
information, and emergency response, and (iii) equip itself with sufficient professional personnel and technical capacity commensurate with the scale of
its services.
In December 2016, the MIIT promulgated the Interim Measures on the Administration of Pre-Installation and Distribution of Applications for
Mobile Smart Terminals, which came into effect on July 1, 2017. The Interim Measures aim to enhance the administration of mobile apps, and require,
among others, that mobile phone manufacturers and internet information service providers must ensure that a mobile app, as well as its ancillary
resource files, configuration files and user data can be uninstalled by a user on a convenient basis, unless it is a basic function software, which refers to a
software that supports the normal functioning of the hardware and operating system of a mobile smart device.
Since 2021, the PRC government has taken steps to strengthen the supervision on the utilization of algorithm in the field of Internet information
service. On September 17, 2021, the CAC and eight other authorities jointly promulgated the Notice on Promulgation of the Guiding Opinions on
Strengthening the Comprehensive Governance of Algorithm-Related Internet Information Services, which provides that, among others, enterprises shall
establish an algorithmic security responsibility system and a technology ethics vetting system, improve the algorithmic security management
organization, strengthen risk prevention and control, and improve the capacity to respond to algorithmic security emergencies. On December 31, 2021,
the CAC, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security and the SAMR jointly issued the Administration Provisions on
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Algorithmic Recommendation of Internet Information Services, or the Administration Provisions on Algorithmic Recommendation, which became
effective on March 1, 2022. The Administration Provisions on Algorithmic Recommendation stipulates that algorithmic recommendation service
providers shall (i) fulfill their responsibilities for algorithm security, (ii) establish and strengthen management systems for algorithm mechanism
examination, ethical review in technology, user registration, information release examination, protection of data security and personal information, anti-
telecom and network fraud, security assessment and monitoring, emergency response to security incidents, etc., and (iii) formulate and publish rules
governing algorithmic recommendation related service. The provider of algorithmic recommendation services shall not use the services to (i) carry out
any illegal activity which may endanger national security and social public interest, disturb economic order and social order, or infringe third parties’
legal interest, or (ii) spread any information prohibited by laws or regulations. Besides, it shall not take advantage of algorithms to impose unreasonable
restrictions on other information service providers, or hinder or obstruct the normal operation of their legal services. The providers of algorithmic
recommendation services with the characteristics of public opinion or capacity of social mobilization shall complete the filing with the CAC’s filing
system within ten business days after the launch of its service.
Regulations on Internet Information Search Service
In June 2016, the CAC promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Internet Information Search Services, or the Search Services Administrative
Provisions, which took effect on August 1, 2016. Pursuant to the Search Services Administrative Provisions, internet information search service refers to
the service whereby users can search for information that is collected from the internet and processed by computer technology. The Search Services
Administrative Provisions requires that an internet information search service provider must not publish any information or contents prohibited by law
in the form of links, abstracts, snapshots, associative words, related search or recommendations or otherwise. If an internet information search service
provider identifies any search results that contain any information, website or app that is prohibited by law, it must stop displaying the search results,
record the infraction and report it to the relevant governmental authority. In addition, an internet information search service provider is prohibited from
seeking illegitimate interest by means of unauthorized disconnection of links, or provision of search results containing false information. If an internet
information search service provider engages in paid search services, it must examine and verify the qualifications of its customers of the paid search
services, specify the maximum percentage of search results as paid search results on a webpage, clearly distinguish paid search results from natural
search results, and notably identify the paid search information item by item.
Regulations on News Display
Displaying news on a website and disseminating news through the internet are highly regulated in the PRC. The Provisional Measures for
Administrating Internet Websites Carrying on the News Displaying Business, jointly promulgated by the State Council News Office and the MIIT in
November 2000, require an ICP operator (other than a government authorized news unit) to obtain an approval from the State Council News Office to
post news on its website or disseminate news through the internet. Furthermore, the disseminated news must come from government-approved sources
pursuant to contracts between the ICP operator and the sources, copies of which must be filed with the relevant government authorities.
In May 2017, the CAC issued the Provisions on the Administration of Internet News Information Services, or the Internet News Regulation, and
its implementing rules, which became effective on June 1, 2017. Pursuant to the Internet News Regulation and its implementing rules, if an entity
intends to provide internet news information service, it is required to obtain an approval from the State Council News Office and receive an Internet
News Information Service License. Internet news information service refers to editing, publishing and reprinting and the dissemination platform service
of internet news through internet websites, mobile apps, forums, blogs, micro-blogs, official accounts, instant message tools, live-streaming and other
similar means. Pursuant to the Internet News Regulation, no internet news information service organizations may take the form
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of a foreign-invested enterprise, whether a joint venture or a wholly foreign-owned enterprise, and no cooperation between internet news information
service organizations and foreign-invested enterprises is allowed prior to the security evaluation by the CAC. On March 12, 2022, the NDRC and the
MOC issued the Negative List for Market Access (2022 Version), which specifies the prohibition of illegal engagement in news media business, and
further emphasizes that non-state capital shall not engage in the gathering, editing, broadcasting and distribution of news information.
Baidu Netcom obtained the Internet News Information Service License, which permits it to publish internet news pursuant to the relevant PRC
laws and regulations, in December 2006, and had the license renewed in October 2021.
Regulations on Internet Drug Information Services
According to the Provisions on the Administration of Internet Drug Information Services, which was promulgated by the State Food and Drug
Administration and most recently amended in November 2017, an enterprise publishing drug-related information must obtain a qualification certificate
from the provincial-level food and drug administration before it applies for the ICP license or files with the MIIT or its local provincial-level
counterpart. In addition, the Standing Committee further amended the Drug Administration Law on August 26, 2019, which became effective on
December 1, 2019. An ICP service operator that provides information regarding drugs or medical devices must obtain an Internet Drug Information
Service Qualification Certificate from the applicable provincial level administrative authority.
Baidu Netcom obtained the Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information Services, which permits it to publish drug-related information
on its website, in November 2007, and had the certificate renewed in August 2017. We have several other entities in our group that have obtained the
Qualification Certificate for Internet Drug Information Services.
Regulations on Internet Healthcare
According to the Guiding Opinions on Vigorously Advancing the “Internet Plus” Action issued by the State Council on July 1, 2015, Internet
enterprises are encouraged to cooperate with medical institutions in establishing online medical information platforms, strengthen the integration of
regional health care service resources, and make full use of the Internet, Big Data and other means to improve the capability to prevent and control
major diseases and unexpected public health incidents. The General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Promoting the Development of
“Internet Plus Health Care” on April 25, 2018, which encouraged medical institutions to apply the internet and other information technologies to expand
the space and content of medical services, and develop an online-offline integrated medical service model covering stages before, during and after
diagnosis. The development of Internet hospitals depending on medical institutions shall be permitted. Medical institutions may use Internet hospital as
the second name and, based on physical hospitals, use Internet technology to provide safe and appropriate medical services, allowing online re-diagnosis
for some common diseases and chronic diseases. After reviewing documents of the medical records and profiles of patients, doctors shall be allowed to
prescribe online for some common diseases and chronic diseases.
According to the Measures for the Administration of Internet Hospitals (for Trial Implementation) issued on July 17, 2018, any entity applying for
establishment of an internet hospital is required to submit an application to the competent registration authority of the physical medical institution
supporting such internet hospital, and submit the application form, the feasibility research report on establishment of such Internet hospital, the address
of the physical medical institution supporting such Internet hospital, and the agreement jointly signed by the applicant and the physical medical
institution in relation to establishment of an internet hospital through cooperation. If a physical medical institution intends to establish an internet
hospital information platform through cooperation with a third-party institution, the relevant cooperation agreement should be submitted to competent
registration authority of such physical medical institution. The Measures for the Administration of
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Internet Hospitals (for Trial Implementation) also clarify that Internet hospitals shall adopt information security protection measures for Level 3
information system in accordance with relevant information security laws and regulations. Doctors can only provide follow-up diagnosis services
through internet hospitals for patients that have been diagnosed with certain common diseases or chronic diseases, unless the patients are in physical
hospitals and the doctors in the physical hospital invites other doctors to provide diagnosis services through internet hospital.
According to the Measures for the Administration of Internet Diagnosis and Treatment (for Trial Implementation) issued on July 17, 2018,
Internet diagnosis and treatment activities shall be provided by the medical institutions that have obtained a “Practicing License for Medical Institution”.
If a medical institution intends to establish an information and services platform for Internet diagnosis and treatment activities through cooperation with
a third-party institution, the relevant cooperation agreement should be submitted to competent registration authority of such medical institution. The
Internet-based diagnosis services provided by a medical institution shall be consistent with its diagnosis and treatment subjects. Physicians and nurses
carrying out Internet diagnosis and treatment activities shall be recorded and registered in the national electronic registration system of physicians and
nurses. A medical institution shall conduct electronic real-name verification for the medical staff members carrying out Internet diagnosis and treatment
activities.
Regulations on Internet Culture Activities
The Provisional Measures for the Internet Culture Administration, promulgated by the Ministry of Culture and with the latest amendment
becoming effective in December 2017, require ICP operators engaging in “internet culture activities” to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Culture.
The “internet culture activities” include, among other things, online dissemination of internet cultural products and the production, reproduction,
importation, distribution and broadcasting of internet cultural products. In May 2019, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the Circular regarding
Adjusting the Scope of Approval of Internet Culture Business Permit and Further Regulating Approval Matters to adjust the applicable scope of the
Internet Culture Business Permit. Pursuant to the circular, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will no longer be the authority supervising the online
game industry and therefore the business scope of an Internet Culture Business Permit issued by it and its local counterparts will only cover internet
cultural products including online music, online plays or programs, online performance, online works of art, online cartoon and exhibition and online
matches, but exclude online games. Imported internet cultural products are subject to content review by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism before they
are disseminated online, while domestic internet cultural products must be filed with the local branch of the Ministry of Culture within 30 days
following the online dissemination. Service providers are also required to conduct self-review of the content of internet cultural products before they are
put on the internet or submitted to the Ministry of Culture for approvals or filings. Baidu Netcom was granted an Internet Culture Business Permit in
April 2007, which was renewed again in September 2018. Some other entities in our group have also obtained an Internet Culture Business Permit.
The Several Suggestions on the Development and Administration of Internet Music, issued by the Ministry of Culture and becoming effective in
November 2006, reiterate the requirement for an internet service provider to obtain the Internet Culture Business Permit to carry on any business of
internet music products. In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from engaging in the internet culture business operation.
In October 2015, the Ministry of Culture promulgated a notice, which took effect on January 1, 2016, to further strengthen its regulation over
online music, including requiring online platforms that allow users to upload self-created or performed music to set up real-time monitoring systems and
requiring online music service providers to make quarterly filings of information related to their content self-review with the local counterpart of the
Ministry of Culture from April 1, 2016.
The Regulations for the Administration of Audio and Video Products, as released by the State Council in December 2001 and last amended in
November 2020, require that the publication, production, duplication,
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importation, wholesale, retail and renting of audio and video products are subject to a license issued by competent authorities.
Regulations on Internet Publishing
In February 2016, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (currently known as the National Press and
Publication Administration, or the NPPA), and the MIIT jointly issued the Administrative Provisions on Internet Publishing Service, or the Internet
Publishing Regulation, which took effect on March 10, 2016, and replaced the Interim Provisions for the Administration of Internet Publishing
promulgated in 2002. The Internet Publishing Regulation requires that any entity engaged in the provision of online publications to the public via
information networks obtain an Internet Publication License from the NPPA. Online publications refer to digital works with editing, production,
processing and other publishing features, provided to the public via information networks, which mainly include: (i) informative and thoughtful text,
pictures, maps, games, animation, audio and video digitizing books and other original digital works in fields such as literature, art and science,
(ii) digital works consistent with the content of published books, newspapers, periodicals, audio-visual products and electronic publications, (iii) the
network literature database or other digital works formed through aforementioned works by selecting, organizing, compiling and other means, and
(iv) other types of digital works determined by the NPPA. The servers and storage facilities used by internet publishers must be located within the
territory of the PRC. The Internet Publishing Regulation also provides that when an internet service provider provides manual intervention search
ranking, advertising, promotion and other services to customers that provide internet publishing services, it is required to check and examine the Internet
Publication Licenses obtained by the customers and the business scope of such licenses.
Regulations on Production and Operation of Audio/Video Programs
Under the Regulations on the Administration of Production of Radio and Television Programs issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film
and Television, or the SARFT (currently known as NRTA) in July 2004 and recently partly amended in October 2020, any entities that engage in the
production of radio and television programs are required to apply for a Permit for Production and Operation of Radio and TV Programs from the
competent administrative authority. Entities with this permit must conduct their business operations in compliance with the approved scope of
production and operation.
On March 17, 2010, the SARFT issued the Internet Audio/Video Program Services Categories (Provisional), or the Provisional Categories, which
were amended on March 10, 2017. The amended Provisional Categories classified Internet audio/video programs into four categories, which are further
divided into seventeen sub-categories.
Regulations on Broadcasting Audio/Video Programs through the Internet
In December 2007, the SARFT and the MIIT jointly promulgated the Rules for the Administration of Internet Audio and Video Program Services,
commonly known as “Document 56,” which took effect on January 31, 2008 and was further amended on August 28, 2015. Pursuant to Document 56,
an online audio/video service provider must obtain an Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, which has a term of three years, and operate
in accordance with the scope of the business as stipulated in the license. Furthermore, Document 56 requires all online audio/ video service providers to
be either wholly state-owned or state-controlled. According to some official answers to press inquiries published on the SARFT’s website in February
2008, officials from the SARFT and the MIIT clarified that online audio/video service providers that already had been operating lawfully prior to the
issuance of Document 56 may re-register and continue to operate without becoming state-owned or controlled; provided that the providers have not
engaged in any unlawful activities. This exemption will not be granted to online audio/video service providers established after Document 56 was
issued. In addition, foreign-invested enterprises are not allowed to engage in the above-mentioned businesses. On March 16, 2018, the NRTA issued the
Notice on Further Regulating the Transmission Orders of Internet Audio
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and Video Program, pursuant to which, among others, (i) online streaming platforms shall not illegally capture, edit, or reprogram audio-video
programs, (ii) the movie clips and prevue broadcasted on the platform shall come from the licensed broadcasting and television programs; and (iii) the
platform shall verify qualifications of sponsors for programs on the platform and shall refrain from accepting sponsorship or advertising from or
cooperating in any other form with any unlicensed online audio/video service providers.
According to Document 56 and other relevant laws and regulations, audio-video programs provided by the entities supplying Internet audio-video
program services shall not contain any illegal content or other content prohibited by the laws and regulations, such as any content against the basic
principles in the PRC Constitution, any content that damages the sovereignty of the country or national security, and any content that disturbs social
order or undermine social stability. An audio-video program that has already been broadcast shall be retained in full for at least 60 days. Movies,
television programs and other media content used as Internet audio-video programs shall comply with relevant administrative regulations on programs
broadcasts through radio, movie and television channels. Entities providing services related to Internet audio-video programs shall immediately delete
the audio-video programs violating laws and regulations, keep relevant records, report relevant authorities and implement other regulatory requirements.
On October 31, 2018, the NRTA issued the Notice on Further Strengthening the Management of Radio and Television and Network Audiovisual
Cultural Programs, or Notice 60. According to Notice 60, all radio and television broadcasting institutes, network audiovisual program service institutes
and program production institutes shall stick to the right political direction and strengthen value guidance; pursue people-centered creative orientation to
curb bad tendencies such as pursuing celebrities, pan-entertainment and so on; persist in providing high-quality content, constantly innovate programs,
and strictly control the remuneration of guests; and strengthen the governance of TV series, network series (including network movies) to promote the
benign development of the industry; shall strengthen the use and management of ratings (click-through rate) survey data and resolutely crack down on
ratings (click-through rate) forgeries, etc.
On May 27, 2016, SAPPRFT issued the Notice on Relevant Issues concerning Implementing the Approval Works of Upgrading Mobile Internet
Audio-Video Program Service, or the Mobile Audio-Video Program Notice. The Mobile Audio-Video Program Notice provides that the mobile Internet
audio-video program services shall be deemed Internet audio-video program service. Entities which have obtained the approvals to provide the Internet
audio-video program services may use mobile WAP websites or mobile applications to provide audio-video program services. Entities with regulatory
approvals may operate mobile applications to provide the audio-video program services. The types of the programs shall be within the permitted scope
as provided in the licenses and such mobile applications shall be filed with the NRTA and/or SFB.
The PRC government has also promulgated a series of special regulatory measures governing live-streaming services. In November 2016, the
CAC promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Internet Live-streaming Service, which took effect on December 1, 2016. Pursuant to the
Administrative Provisions, internet live-streaming service refers to continuous publishing of real-time information to the public on internet by means of
video, audio, graphics, text or other forms, and an internet live-streaming service provider refers to an operator of the platform providing internet live-
streaming service. In accordance with the administrative provisions, an internet live-streaming service provider must verify and register the identity
information of publishers of live-streaming programs and users on its platform, and file the identity information of the publishers with the local
governmental authority for record. Any internet live-streaming service provider engaging in news service must obtain internet news information service
qualification and operate within the permitted scope of such qualification. In September 2016, the SAPPRFT issued the Circular on Strengthening
Administration of Live-streaming Service of Network Audio/Video Programs. Pursuant to the circular, any entity that intends to engage in live
audio/video broadcasting of major political, military, economic, social, cultural or sport events or activities, or live audio/video broadcasting of general
social or cultural group activities, general sporting events or other organizational events, must obtain an Online Audio/Video Program Transmission
License with a permitted operation scope covering the above business activities. Any entity or individual without qualification is
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prohibited from broadcasting live audio/radio programs involving news, variety shows, sports, interviews, commentary or other forms of programs
through any online live-streaming platform or online live broadcasting booth, nor are they permitted to start a live broadcasting channel for any audio or
radio programs. In addition, no entity or individual other than licensed radio stations or television stations are allowed to use “radio station,” “television
station,” “broadcasting station,” “TV” or other descriptive terms exclusive to television and radio broadcasting organizations to engage in any business
on the internet without approval. Furthermore, the CAC issued a notice in July 2017 which requires operators of internet news and information
reproduction and broadcasting services, including commercial website apps that contain live-streaming features, and other internet live-streaming
services, to file with the local CAC starting from July 15, 2017. The Circular on Tightening the Administration of Internet Live-Streaming Services
jointly issued jointly by the MIIT, the CAC and several other government agencies in August 2018 reiterates the license requirements for online-
streaming service providers and requires the operator to file with the local public security authority within 30 days after it commences the service online.
On August 8, 2021, the Administrative Provisions on Minor-oriented Programs was revised by the NRTA and has become effective on the same
date. According to these provisions, network audio-visual programs with minors as their main participants or recipients shall not contain any contents
which are harmful to the minors, such as violence, pornography, heresy, superstition, drug taking and other illegal contents. On November 18, 2019, the
CAC, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the NRTA jointly issued the Administrative Provisions on Online Audio-visual Information Services, or
Circular No. 3, which took effective on January 1, 2020. According to the Circular No. 3, Online Audio-visual Information Services refer to the services
of producing, publishing and disseminating audio-visual information offered to the public via Internet platforms, such as websites and application
programs. Circular No. 3 requires that no individual or entity is allowed to (i) use the online audio-visual information services or related technologies to
engage in any activities which may jeopardize national security, undermine social stability or infringe legitimate right of others; (ii) produce, publish or
disseminate any audio-visual information prohibited by the laws and regulations, such as Internet rumors. A provider of audio-visual information
services must establish, maintain and optimize a rumors refuting regime, under which once it identifies that any user of audio-visual information
services produces, publishes or disseminates any rumor by virtue of the technology of producing forged pictures or audio-visual information based on
deep-learning or virtual reality, such provider must take measures to refute such rumors in a timely manner and file such situations with the competent
authorities governing Internet information, culture and tourism, and radio and television.
Baidu Netcom has renewed its Online Audio/Video Program Transmission License, which remains valid until July 2024. iQIYI has an Online
Audio/Video Program Transmission License that is valid until October 2024. Another entity in our group has an Online Audio/Video Program
Transmission License that is valid until March 2023.
Regulations on Live Streaming
On November 4, 2016, the CAC promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Online Live streaming Services, or the Online Live
streaming Regulations, which became effective on December 1, 2016. The Online Live Streaming Regulations stipulate that online live streaming
service providers must carry out their subject responsibility, arrange professionals commensurate with its service size, establish and improve various
management systems, and have the technical capability to immediately cut online live streaming, and its technical plans shall comply with relevant
national standards. In addition, online live streaming service providers must conduct graded and categorized management according to the content
category and user scale of online live streaming, and establish a credit rating management system for online live streaming distributors as well as a
blacklist management system.
On February 9, 2021, the CAC and six other authorities jointly promulgated the Guiding Opinions on Strengthening the Standardized
Management of Online Live Streaming, or the Guiding Opinions, which became
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effective on the same date. Pursuant to the Guiding Opinions, online live streaming platforms are required to, among others, (i) establish and improve
their system for standardized classified and hierarchical management of live streaming accounts, the management rules for online rewards services, and
the management system for sales through live streaming, (ii) set limits on the maximum amount of rewards accepted by a live streamer during a single
live stream, and (iii) set a reasonable upper limit for the value of a single virtual product and the amount of a single reward.
On March 12, 2022, the NDRC and the MOC issued the Negative List for Market Access (2022 Version), which provides that, among others,
non-state capital shall not engage in live streaming and broadcasting of events and activities involving politics, economy, military affairs, diplomatic
affairs, major social events, culture, science and technology, public health, education and sports and such other activities and events related to political
direction, public opinion orientation and value orientation. The scope of these restricted subject matters for live streaming and broadcasting is relatively
broad and vague, and is subject to further clarifications and interpretations by the regulator.
Regulations on Internet Map Services
According to the Administrative Rules of Surveying Qualification Certificate, as most recently amended by Ministry of Natural Resources on
June 7, 2021, which became effective on July 1, 2021, the provision of internet map services by any non-surveying and mapping enterprise is subject to
the approval of the competent departments of natural resources and requires a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate. Internet maps refer to
maps called or transmitted through the internet. Pursuant to the Notice on Further Strengthening the Administration of Internet Map Services
Qualification issued by the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geo-information in December 2011, any entity without a Surveying and
Mapping Qualification Certificate for internet map services is prohibited from providing any internet map services. According to the Provisions on the
Administration of Examination of Maps most recently amended on July 24, 2019, subject to limited exceptions, an enterprise must first apply for an
approval by the relevant regulatory authority, if it intends to engage in any of the following activities: (i) publication, display, production, posting,
import or export of a map or a product attached with a map, (ii) re-publication, re-display, re-production, re-posting, re-import or re-export of a map the
content of which has been changed after it is approved, or other commercial products attached with such a map, and (ii) publication or display of a map
or a product attached with a map overseas. The operator of an approved internet map is required to file the updated contents of the map with the relevant
regulatory authority semiannually, and re-apply for a new approval of the map when the two-year term of the existing approval expires.
Baidu Netcom provides online traffic information inquiry services as well as internet map services and has obtained a Surveying and Mapping
Qualification Certificate for internet map services. Another entity in our group has also obtained the Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate.
In accordance with the Provisions on the Administration of Examination of Maps, we have applied and will apply for examination and approval of the
continuously iterative and updated maps that are used in our products.
Regulations on Online Games
Pursuant to the Internet Publishing Regulation and the Circular on Mobile Game Publishing Service, the online games services provided on
websites by online game operator partners may be deemed as a type of “online publication service”, and may be required to obtain an Internet
Publication License from the NPPA. Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Perusal, and another entity in our group have obtained the Internet
Publication Licenses. The required approval by the NNPA of each online game provided on our websites is handled by our online game operator
partners.
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In September 2009, the General Administration of Press and Publication (currently known as the NPPA) together with several other government
agencies issued Notice Regarding the Consistent Implementation of the “Measures on Three Provisions” of the State Council and the Relevant
Interpretations of the State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform and the Further Strengthening of the Administration of Examination and
Approval of Online Games and the Examination and Approval of Imported Online Games, or the Circular 13, which explicitly prohibits foreign
investors from participating in online game operating businesses through wholly-owned enterprises, equity joint ventures or cooperative joint ventures
in the PRC. Circular 13 expressly prohibits foreign investors from gaining control over or participating in PRC operating companies’ online game
operations through indirect means, such as establishing joint venture companies, entering into contractual arrangements with or providing technical
support to the operating companies, or through a disguised form, such as incorporating user registration, user account management or payment through
game cards into online game platforms that are ultimately controlled or owned by foreign investors. Certain foreign companies offer online games
provided by their game operator partners on websites or through smartphone app distribution platforms which are owned and operated by their
consolidated affiliated entities under contractual agreements. If such contractual arrangements were deemed to be “indirect means” or “disguised form”
under Circular 13, such relevant contractual arrangements may be challenged by the NPPA or other governmental authorities. If we were found to be in
violation of Circular 13 in the operation of our online game platform, the NNPA, in conjunction with relevant regulatory authorities, would have the
power to investigate and deal with such violations, including in the most serious cases, suspending and revoking the relevant licenses and registrations.
In October 2019, the NPPA promulgated the Circular on Preventing Minors from Developing Online Game Addictions, which mandates that
online game operators take, among others, the following measures to prevent minors from being addicted to online games: (i) the operator shall ensure
that its online game users use valid and true identity information to register their game accounts; (ii) the operator shall strictly control the time slot and
duration allowed for minors to log in and play online games to the extent that it shall not provide any game service for the minors in any form from
10:00 PM each day to 8:00 AM the next day, and the length of time a minor spends in playing its online games must not exceed three hours
accumulatively on each statutory holiday and one and a half hours on each business day; and (iii) the online game operator shall not offer any paid
services to minors that are not suitable for their civil capacity. According to such circular, these requirements are pre-conditions for an operator to
publish and operate any online game.
On August 30, 2021, the NPPA issued the Circular of the National Press and Publication Administration on Further Strengthening Regulation to
Effectively Prevent Online Gaming Additions among Minors, which became into effect on September 1, 2021. After the effective date of this Circular,
online game companies shall provide minors only with one hour of online game services at prescribed periods, namely between 8 pm and 9 pm on
Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The Circular reinstates that online game companies shall strictly implement the real-name registration
and login requirements for online game user accounts. All online games shall be connected to the NPPA’s real-name verification system for anti-online
game addiction purpose. Online game users shall use real and valid identity information to register for game accounts and log in to online games. Online
game companies shall not provide gaming services in any form (including visitor experience mode) to users who have not registered or logged in with
their real names.
Regulations on Online Game Virtual Currency
The Interim Administration Measures of Online Games, which has been repealed on July 10, 2019 (while no other regulation has been issued or
promulgated as of the date of this annual report to replace this regulation) require companies that (i) issue online game virtual currency (including
prepaid cards and/or pre-payment or prepaid card points) or (ii) offer online game virtual currency transaction services to apply for the Internet Culture
Business Permit from provincial branches of the Ministry of Culture. The regulations prohibit companies that issue online game virtual currency from
providing services that would enable the trading of such virtual currency. Any company that fails to submit the requisite application will be subject to
sanctions, including, but not limited to, termination of operation, confiscation of incomes and fines. The regulations also prohibit online
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game operators from allocating virtual items or virtual currency to players based on random selection through lucky draw, wager or lottery that involve
cash or virtual currency directly paid by the players. In addition, companies that issue online game virtual currency must comply with certain specific
requirements. For example, online games virtual currency can only be used for products and services related to the issuance company’s own online
games. Pursuant to the Circular on Regulating Online Game Operation and Strengthening Interim and Ex Post Supervision issued by the Ministry of
Culture in December 2016, which took effect on May 1, 2017 and repealed on August 19, 2019, an online game operator must not allow online game
virtual currency to exchange for legal currency or items, except in the case of termination of online game operation where the online game operator may
refund the balance of online game virtual currency to players in the form of legal currency or in other means acceptable to the players. Moreover,
pursuant to the circular, regulations applicable to online game virtual currency also apply to such other virtual items where the virtual items are issued
by the online game operator, can be exchangeable for other virtual items or value-added services related to the games, and can be purchased with legal
currency or online game virtual currency or exchanged for online game virtual currency. As of the date of this annual report, no government authority
has issued or promulgated any provisions to replace the above-mentioned regulations.
Regulations on Advertisements and Online Advertising
The PRC government regulates advertising, including online advertising, principally through the SAMR. The PRC Advertising Law, as recently
amended on April 29, 2021, outlines the regulatory framework for the advertising industry, and allows foreign investors to own up to all equity interests
in PRC advertising companies.
We conduct our value-added telecommunication-based online advertising business through Baidu Netcom, which is one of our consolidated
affiliated entities in China and holds a business license that covers value-added telecommunication-based online advertising in its business scope. Our
subsidiaries Baidu Times and Baidu China have also expanded their respective business license to cover advertising in their respective business scope.
Advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are required by PRC advertising laws and regulations to ensure that the contents of
the advertisements they prepare or distribute are true and in full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. For example, pursuant to PRC
Advertising Law, advertisements must not contain, among other prohibited contents, terms such as “the state-level,” “the highest grade,” “the best” or
other similar words. In addition, where a special government review is required for certain categories of advertisements before publishing, the
advertisers, advertising operators and advertising distributors are obligated to confirm that such review has been performed and the relevant approval
has been obtained. Pursuant to the PRC Advertising Law, the use of the internet to distribute advertisements shall not affect the normal use of the
internet by users. Particularly, advertisements distributed on internet pages such as pop-up advertisements shall be indicated with a conspicuous mark for
“close” to ensure the close of such advertisements by one click. Where internet information service providers know or should know that illegal
advertisements are being distributed using their services, they shall prevent such advertisements from being distributed.
In addition to the above regulations, the Interim Administration Measures of Internet Advertising which was promulgated by the then State
Administration for Industry and Commerce (currently known as the SAMR) and became effective on September 1, 2016 also set forth certain
compliance requirements for online advertising businesses. For example, search engine service providers must indicate paid search results as an
advertisement and distinguish paid search results from natural search results on their websites. Advertising operators and distributors of internet
advertisements must examine, verify and record identity information, such as name, address and contact information, of advertisers, and maintain an
updated verification record on a regular basis. Moreover, advertising operators and advertising distributors must examine supporting documentation
provided by advertisers and verify the contents of the advertisements against supporting documents before publishing. If the contents of advertisements
are inconsistent with the supporting documentation, or the supporting documentation is incomplete, advertising operators and distributors must refrain
from providing design, production, agency or publishing services. The Internet Advertising Measures also prohibit the following
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activities: (i) providing or using apps and hardware to block, filter, skip over, tamper with, or cover up lawful advertisements; (ii) using network access,
network equipment and apps to disrupt the normal transmission of lawful advertisements or adding or uploading advertisements without authorization;
and (iii) harming the interests of a third party by using fake statistics or traffic data.
The SAMR has promulgated the Guidance regarding Strengthening the Supervision over Marketing Activities by Internet Live-Streaming in
November 2020 to further regulated marketing activities by Internet live-streaming. The NRTA also issued a circular on the Strengthening Management
of Live-Streaming of Internet Shows and Electronic Commerce in November 2020 to provide instruction to online marketing activities through live-
streaming. Platforms providing live-streaming of Internet show or electronic commerce shall register with National Internet Video-audio Platform
Information Management System no later than November 30, 2020. The overall ratio of front-line content reviewers to live-streaming rooms on such
platforms shall be no less than 1:50. The training for content reviewers shall be strengthened and content reviewers who have passed the training shall
be registered in the Reviewer Information Management System. A platform shall report the number of its live-streaming rooms, streamers and content
reviewers to the provincial branch of the NRTA on a quarterly basis. Internet show live-streaming platforms shall tag content of live-streaming rooms
and corresponding streamers by category. A streamer cannot change the category of the programs tagged in his or her live-streaming room without prior
approval from the platform. Users that are minors or without real-name registration are prohibited from virtual tipping, and platforms shall cap the
amount of virtual tipping per time, per day, and per month. When the virtual tipping by a user reaches half of the daily/monthly limit, a consumption
notification from the platform and a confirmation from the user by text messages or other means are required before the processing the next transaction.
When the amount of virtual tipping by a user reaches the daily/monthly limit, the platform shall suspend the virtual tipping function for such user for
that day or month. To host any electronic commerce promotion events such as E-commerce Festival, E-commerce Day or Promotion Day in the forms of
live-streaming rooms, live performances, live variety shows and other live programs, the platforms shall register the information of guests, streamers,
content and settings with the local branch of NRTA 14 business days in advance. Internet electronic commerce live-streaming platforms shall conduct
relevant qualification examination and real-name authentication on businesses and individuals providing live-streaming marketing services and keep
complete examination and authentication records, and shall not enable imposters or businesses or individuals without qualification or real-name
registration to conduct live-streaming marketing services.
On November 26, 2021, the SMAR promulgated the draft of the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertisements for public comment.
The draft measures further strengthen the management of pop-up advertisements and product placement, and require that, among others, advertisement
of after-school tutoring targeted at pre-school children and primary and middle school students shall not be released via the Internet. The Internet
platform operators are obliged to cooperate with advertising monitoring and assist in supervision and provide statistical data.
Violation of these regulations may result in penalties, including fines, confiscation of advertising income, orders to cease dissemination of the
advertisements and orders to publish an advertisement correcting the misleading information. In the case of serious violations, the SAMR or its local
branches may force the violator to terminate its advertising operation or even revoke its business license. Furthermore, advertisers, advertising operators
or advertising distributors may be subject to civil liability if they infringe on the legal rights and interests of third parties.
Regulations on Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Driving Vehicles
We engage in the research and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and products, specifically autonomous driving vehicles. The
Chinese government has issued a series of guidelines to encourage and support the research and development of AI technology, such as the Three-Year
Implementing Plan for Internet Plus Artificial Intelligence issued in May 2016, the Development Planning on the New Generation of Artificial
Intelligence issued in July 2017 and the Development Plan for the Big Data Industry during the “14th Five-Year Plan” Period issued in November 2021.
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In particular, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transport jointly promulgated the Administrative Rules of Road
Testing and Demonstration Application of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (for Trial Implementation), or the Administrative Rules, on July 27, 2021,
which became effective on September 1, 2021 and substituted the Norms on Administration of Road Testing of Autonomous Driving Vehicles (Trial
Implementation) issued in April 2018. Pursuant to the Administrative Rules, a qualified entity to conduct road testing of intelligently connected vehicles
shall meet the following conditions, including, among others: (i) it shall be an independent legal person registered within the territory of the PRC; (ii) it
shall have the relevant capabilities concerning intelligently connected vehicles, such as the capabilities of manufacturing automobiles and spare parts
thereof, the capabilities of research and development of technologies, or the capabilities of experiments and tests; (iii) it shall be capable of paying civil
compensation for potential damages caused by the road testing of intelligently connected vehicles; (iv) it shall have the evaluation rules for the testing of
self-driving functions of intelligently connected vehicles; (v) it shall have the ability to conduct real-time remote monitoring of the vehicles on road
testing; (vi) it shall have the ability to record, analyze and reproduce the events related to road test vehicles; (vii) it shall have the ability to guarantee the
network security for tested vehicles and remote monitoring platforms; and (viii) other conditions specified in applicable laws, administrative regulations
and rules. An eligible entity may apply to conduct experimental operation of intelligently connected vehicles in prescribed roads and areas. Prior to
starting a road testing, a road-testing entity shall submit a self-declaration on safety of the road testing, and such self-declaration shall be confirmed by
the competent governmental authority on the provincial or municipal level. The testing duration for a road testing shall not exceed 18 months in
principle, and shall not exceed the validity period of the quality certificate of safety technical inspection and the insurance voucher of the tested vehicle.
A road-testing entity or the experimental operation entity shall submit a periodic report every 6 months to the competent governmental authority on the
provincial or municipal level and provide a summary report within 1 month upon conclusion of the road testing or experimental operation. The entity
responsible for the road testing or the experimental operation shall report information on the traffic accidents during the road testing or experimental
operation to the competent authorities on a monthly basis. In the case of serious injuries or deaths of any person or serious damage of a vehicle, The
entity responsible for the road testing or the experimental operation shall report such accident to the competent governmental authority on the provincial
or municipal level within 24 hours through the information system, and if such subject fails to report as required, its road testing or experimental
operation activities may be suspended for 24 months. Some local governments, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hunan and Tianjin, have issued
local rules and regulations to regulate road testing of autonomous driving cars accordingly.
In addition, the PRC government has strengthened regulation of the network security and data security of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) since
2021. On September 15, 2021, the MIIT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Network Security and Data Security of IoV. This Circular provides that
all enterprises related to IoV shall establish management systems for network security and data security, specify the responsible person and management
bodies, and perform network security and data security-related protection responsibilities. The Circular also requires that all enterprises related to IoV
shall monitor, prevent, and promptly tackle cybersecurity risks and threats to ensure that data can be effectively protected and legally used and that the
relevant IoV can be operated safely and stably. On March 7, 2022, the MIIT issued the Guidelines for the Construction of Network Security and Data
Security Standard System for IoV , which specifies the safety standards and requirements covering terminal and facility security, network
communication security, data security, application service security and security guarantee and support.
On August 16, 2021, the CAC and four other authorities jointly promulgated the Several Provisions on Automotive Data Security Management
(for Trial Implementation), or the Provisions, which took effect on October 1, 2021. The Provisions require that automotive data processors should avoid
excessive collection and illegal use of data and adhere to certain protocols such as “no collection by default” and “data masking” when carrying out data
processing activities. The Provisions emphasize that if it is indeed necessary to provide any important data overseas due to the business needs of an
automotive data processer, the automotive data processer shall complete a prior security assessment on outbound data transfer and shall not provide any
important data overseas beyond the scope determined in such security assessment.
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On April 28, 2021, the National Information Security Standardization Technical Committee, or the NISSTC, issued a draft of the Safety
Requirements for Data Collected by Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and on October 19, 2021, the NISSTC further issued the Security Requirements of
Vehicle Collected Data (Draft for comments). The Security Requirements of Vehicle Collected Data (Draft for comments) specifies the security
requirements on the transfer, storage, outbound transfer and other dispositions of vehicle collected data. Specifically, certain types of vehicle collected
data, such as those collected through sensors within the vehicle cockpit and location and route data, shall not be transferred outside China. Besides,
outbound transfer of operational data shall be subject to the data cross-border transfer security assessment conducted by national cyberspace authorities.
Regulation on Product Quality
Products made in mainland China shall be subject to the Product Quality Law of the PRC, or the Product Quality Law, which was promulgated on
February 22, 1993 and most recently amended on December 29, 2018. According to the Product Quality Law, a seller of a product shall be responsible
for repairing, replacing or returning the product with any of the following defects, and shall compensate for the damages incurred by consumers who
bought such defective product: (i) the product does not have the usability which such product should have and there are no prior indications about such
situation; (ii) the actual quality of such product fails to comply with the standards specified on such product or the package of such product; and (iii) the
actual quality of such product fails to meet the quality status specified by way of product specifications and samples. After the seller performs its
obligation of repairing, replacing and returning the defective product and/or compensating for the customers’ damages, such seller is entitled to seek
reimbursement from the manufacturer of such product, if it could be proved that the defect is caused by the manufacturer. According to the Product
Quality Law, a manufacturer of a product shall be responsible to compensate for the damages to any person caused by the defect of such product, unless
the manufacturer is able to prove that: (i) it did not circulate the product; (ii) the defect did not exist at the time when the product was circulated; or
(iii) scientific or technologic knowledge at the time when such product was circulated was not such that it allowed the defect to be discovered.
Regulations on Tort Liability
In accordance with the Tort Liability Law of the PRC, or the Tort Liability Law, which became effective in July 2010, internet users and internet
service providers bear tortious liabilities in the event that they infringe upon other persons’ rights and interests through the internet. Where an internet
user conducts tortious acts through internet services, the infringed person has the right to request the internet service provider take necessary actions
such as deleting contents, screening and de-linking. Failing to take necessary actions after being informed, the internet service provider will be subject to
joint and several liabilities with the internet user with regard to the additional damages incurred. Where an internet service provider knows that an
internet user is infringing upon other persons’ rights and interests through its internet service but fails to take necessary actions, it is jointly and severally
liable with the internet user. In addition, in accordance with the Tort Liability Law, in the event of any damage arising from a defective product, the
infringed person may seek compensation from either the manufacturer or the seller of such product. If the manufacturer has compensated the infringed
person but the defect is caused by the fault of the seller, the manufacturer is entitled to seek reimbursement from the seller. If the seller has compensated
the infringed person but the defect is caused by the manufacturer, the seller is entitled to seek reimbursement from the manufacturer. The National
People’s Congress adopted the Civil Code of the PRC, or the Civil Code on May 28, 2020, which came into effect on January 1, 2021 and revoked the
Tort Liability Law. The Civil Code has further revised the Internet tort liability as originally provided in the Tort Liability Law. It has further elaborated
on “safe harbor” rule with respect to an internet service provider from both the aspects of notice and counter notice, including (i) upon receiving notice
from the right holder, promptly adopting necessary protective measures such as deletion, screening or disconnection of hyperlinks and reefing right
holder’s notice to disputed internet user; and (ii) upon receiving counter-notice from the disputed internet user, referring such counter-notice to the
claiming right holder and informing him/her to take other corresponding measures such as filing complaint with competent authorities or suit with
courts. The Civil Code has also provides that where the internet service provider knew or should have known the infringing acts of the internet
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user, it shall be severally liable with such internet user. As for product liability, the Civil Code provides additional mitigation measures such as stop
selling of defective products and stipulated that the seller and manufacturer shall also be liable for expanded damages caused by such defective products
if no mitigation measures are provided or not sufficient. If a recall of defective product is required, the seller and the manufacturer shall be responsible
to undertake fees paid by infringed users.
Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights
The PRC has adopted legislation governing intellectual property rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and domain names.
Patent. The Patent Law of the PRC provides for patentable inventions, utility models and designs, which must meet three conditions: novelty,
inventiveness and practical applicability. The State Intellectual Property Office under the State Council is responsible for examining and approving
patent applications. A patent is valid for a term of twenty years in the case of an invention and a term of ten years in the case of utility models and
designs.
Copyright. The Copyright Law of the PRC, or the Copyright Law, and its implementation rules extend copyright protection to products
disseminated over the internet and computer software. There is a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center.
Creators of protected works enjoy personal and property rights, including, among others, the right of disseminating the works through information
networks.
Pursuant to the relevant PRC regulations, rules and interpretations, ICP operators will be jointly liable with the infringer if they (a) participate in,
assist in or abet infringing activities committed by any other person through the internet, (b) are or should be aware of the infringing activities
committed by their website users through the internet, or (c) fail to remove infringing content or take other action to eliminate infringing consequences
after receiving a warning with evidence of such infringing activities from the copyright holder. The court will determine whether an internet service
provider should have known of their internet users’ infringing activities based on how obvious the infringing activities are by taking into consideration a
number of factors, including (i) the information management capabilities that the provider should have based on the possibility that the services
provided by it may trigger infringing acts, (ii) the degree of obviousness of the infringing content, (iii) whether it has taken the initiative to select, edit,
modify or recommend the contents involved, (iv) whether it has taken positive and reasonable measures against infringing acts, and (v) whether it has
set up convenient programs to receive notices of infringement and made timely and reasonable responses to the notices. Where an internet service
provider has directly obtained economic benefits from any contents made available by an internet user, it shall have a higher duty of care with respect to
the internet user’s act of infringement of others’ copyrights. Advertisements placed for or other benefits particularly connected with specific contents
may be deemed as direct economic benefits from such contents, but general advertising fees or service fees charged by an internet service provider for
its internet services will not be included. In addition, where an ICP operator is clearly aware of the infringement of certain content against another’s
copyright through the internet, or fails to take measures to remove relevant contents upon receipt of the copyright holder’s notice, and as a result, it
damages the public interest, the ICP operator could be ordered to stop the tortious act and be subject to other administrative penalties such as
confiscation of illegal income and fines. An ICP operator is also required to retain all infringement notices for a minimum of six months and to record
the content, display time and IP addresses or the domain names related to the infringement for a minimum of 60 days.
Pursuant to the Copyright Law and its implementation rules, creators of protected works enjoy personal and property rights such as the right of
disseminating the works through information networks. In addition, the Regulations for the Protection of Information Network Transmission Right
promulgated by the State Council on May 18, 2006, and amended on January 30, 2013, specify the rules on a safe harbor for use of copyrights and
copyright management technology. An internet service provider may be exempted from liabilities for providing
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links to infringing or illegal content or providing other internet services which are used by its users to infringe others’ copyright, if it does not know and
does not have constructive knowledge that such content is infringing upon other parties’ rights or is illegal. However, if the legitimate owner of the
content notifies the internet service provider and requests removal of the links to the infringing content, the internet service provider would be deemed to
have constructive knowledge upon receipt of such notification, but would be exempted from liabilities if it removes or disconnects the links to the
infringing content at the request of the legitimate owner. At the request of the alleged infringer, the internet service provider should immediately restore
links to content previously disconnected upon receipt of initial non-infringing evidence.
We have adopted measures to mitigate copyright infringement risks. For example, our policy is to remove links to web pages and materials
uploaded by the users if we know these web pages or materials contain materials that infringe upon third-party rights or if we are notified by the
legitimate copyright holder of the infringement with proper evidence.
Software Products. The Regulation for the Protection of Computer Software promulgated by the State Council on December 20, 2001 and last
amended on January 30, 2013. To further implementing this regulation, the Computer Software Copyright Registration Measures promulgated by the
China Copyright Office on February 20, 2002, regulates software copyright registration, exclusive licensing contracts of software copyright and transfer
agreements. Although such registration is not mandatory under PRC law, software copyright owners are encouraged to go through the registration
process and registered software may receive better protection.
Trademark. The Trademark Law of the PRC and its implementation rules protect registered trademarks. The Trademark Office of National
Intellectual Property Administration under the SAMR handles trademark registrations and grants a term of ten years to registered trademarks. Trademark
license agreements must be filed with the Trademark Office of National Intellectual Property Administration for record. “百度” is recognized as a well-
known trademark in China by the Trademark Office of National Intellectual Property Administration under the SAMR. In addition to owning “百度” and
the related logos, we have applied for registration of various other trademarks.
Domain name. Domain names are protected under the Administrative Measures on the Internet Domain Names promulgated by the MIIT in
August 2017, which became effective in November 2017. The MIIT is the major regulatory body responsible for the administration of the PRC internet
domain names, and under the supervision of the MIIT, the China Internet Network Information Center, or CNNIC, is responsible for the daily
administration of “.cn” domain names and Chinese domain names. According to the Circular on Administration of the Use of Domain Names for
Internet Information Services issued by the MIIT in November 2017, only the internet information service provider itself or the shareholder(s), principal
or senior management officer(s) of the internet information service provider are eligible to register the domain names used for the internet information
services. We have registered baidu.cn, baidu.com.cn and certain other domain names with registrars accredited by CNNIC.
Regulations on Information Security
The National People’s Congress has enacted legislation that prohibits use of the internet that breaches the public security, disseminates socially
destabilizing content or leaks state secrets. Breach of public security includes breach of national security and infringement on legal rights and interests
of the state, society or citizens. Socially destabilizing content includes any content that incites defiance or violations of PRC laws or regulations or
subversion of the PRC government or its political system, spreads socially disruptive rumors or involves cult activities, superstition, obscenities,
pornography, gambling or violence. State secrets are defined broadly to include information concerning PRC national defense, state affairs and other
matters as determined by the PRC authorities.
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Pursuant to applicable regulations, ICP operators must complete mandatory security filing procedures and regularly update information security
and monitoring systems for their websites with local public security authorities, and must also report any public dissemination of prohibited content.
In December 2015, the Standing Committee promulgated the Anti-Terrorism Law of the PRC, or the Anti-Terrorism Law, which took effect on
January 1, 2016 and was amended on April 27, 2018. According to the Anti-Terrorism Law, telecommunication service operators or internet service
providers shall (i) carry out pertinent anti-terrorism publicity and education to society; (ii) provide technical interfaces, decryption and other technical
support and assistance for the competent departments to prevent and investigate terrorist activities; (iii) implement network security and information
monitoring systems as well as safety and technical prevention measures to avoid the dissemination of terrorism information, delete the terrorism
information, immediately halt its dissemination, keep relevant records and report to the competent departments once the terrorism information is
discovered; and (iv) examine customer identities before providing services. Any violation of the Anti-Terrorism Law may result in severe penalties,
including substantial fines.
In November 2016, the Standing Committee promulgated the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or the Cyber Security Law, which took effect on
June 1, 2017. In accordance with the Cyber Security Law, network operators must comply with applicable laws and regulations and fulfill their
obligations to safeguard network security in conducting business and providing services. Network service providers must take technical and other
necessary measures as required by laws, regulations and mandatory requirements to safeguard the operation of networks, respond to network security
effectively, prevent illegal and criminal activities, and maintain the integrity, confidentiality and usability of network data. On May 2, 2017, the CAC
issued a trial version of the Measures for the Security Review of Network Products and Services (Trial), which took effect on June 1, 2017, to provide
for more detailed rules regarding cybersecurity review requirements. On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
adopted the Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect on November 1, 2021. The Personal Information Protection Law integrated the
scattered rules with respect to personal information rights and privacy protection.
For the further purposes of regulating data processing activities, safeguarding data security, promoting data development and utilization,
protecting the lawful rights and interests of individuals and organizations, and maintaining national sovereignty, security, and development interests, on
June 10, 2021, Standing Committee published the Data Security Law of the People’s Republic of China, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The
Data Security Law requires data processing, which includes the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, provision, publication of data, to be
conducted in a legitimate and proper manner. The Data Security Law provides for data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals
carrying out data activities. The Data Security Law also introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of
data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it may cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of
individuals or organizations if such data are tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or illegally used. The appropriate level of protection
measures is required to be taken for each respective category of data. For example, a processor of important data is required to designate the personnel
and the management body responsible for data security, carry out regular risk assessments of its data processing activities and file the risk assessment
reports with the competent authorities. State core data, i.e. data having a bearing on national security, the lifelines of national economy, people’s key
livelihood and major public interests, shall be subject to stricter management system. Moreover, the Data Security Law provides a national security
review procedure for those data activities which affect or may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data and information. In
addition, the Data Security Law also provides that any organization or individual within the territory of the PRC shall not provide any foreign judicial
body and law enforcement body with any data without the approval of the competent PRC governmental authorities. As the Data Security Law was
recently promulgated and put into force, we may be required to make further adjustments to our business practices to comply with this law, as well as
any adjustments that may be required by the ultimate Personal Information Protection Law.
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On July 6, 2021, certain PRC regulatory authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which, among
others, provides for improving relevant laws and regulations on data security, cross-border data transmission, and confidential information management.
It provided that efforts will be made to revise the regulations on strengthening the confidentiality and file management relating to the offering and listing
of securities overseas, to implement the responsibility on information security of overseas listed companies, and to strengthen the standardized
management of cross-border information provision mechanisms and procedures.
On December 28, 2021, the CAC issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021, which became effective on February 15, 2022 and replaced the
Cybersecurity Review Measures 2020. The scope of review under the Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 extends to critical information
infrastructure operators that intend to purchase internet products and services and network platform operators engaging in data processing activities,
which affect or may affect national security. According to Article 7 of the Measures, network platform operators who possess personal information of
over a million users shall apply to the Cybersecurity Review Office for cybersecurity reviews before listing in a foreign country. Besides, the
Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 also provide that if the relevant authorities consider that certain network products and services and data
processing activities affect or may affect national security, the authorities may initiate a cybersecurity review even if the operators do not have an
obligation to report for a cybersecurity review under such circumstances. The Cybersecurity Review Measures 2021 also elaborate the factors to be
considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities, including among others, risks of core data, important data or a large
amount of personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, and illegally used or illegally exited the country, risks of critical information
infrastructure, core data, important data or a large amount of personal information data being affected, controlled and maliciously used by foreign
governments after a listing, and risks associated with Internet information security.
On November 14, 2021, the CAC released the Regulations on the Network Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Regulations, and will
accept public comments until December 13, 2021. The Draft Regulations provide that data processors refer to individuals or organizations that
autonomously determine the purpose and the manner of processing data. In accordance with the Draft Regulations, data processors shall apply for a
cybersecurity review for the following activities: (i) merger, reorganization or division of Internet platform operators that have acquired a large number
of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests to the extent that affects or may affect national security;
(ii) listing abroad of data processors which process over one million users’ personal information; (iii) listing in Hong Kong which affects or may affect
national security; or (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. Besides, data processors that are listed overseas shall
carry out an annual data security assessment.
On July 30, 2021, the State Council issued the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, or the Regulations. Pursuant to the
Regulations, critical information infrastructure shall mean the important network facilities or information systems of key industries or fields such as
public communication and information service, energy, transportation, water conservation, finance, public services, e-government affairs and national
defense science, and important network facilities or information systems which may endanger national security, people’s livelihood and public interest
once there occur damage, malfunctioning or data leakage to them. The Regulations provide that no individual or organization may carry out any illegal
activity of intruding into, interfering with, or sabotaging any critical information infrastructures, or endanger the security of any critical information
infrastructures. The Regulations also require that critical information infrastructure operators shall establish a cybersecurity protection system and
accountability system, and that the main responsible person of a critical information infrastructure operator shall take full responsibility for the security
protection of the critical information infrastructures operated by it. In addition, relevant administration departments of each important industry and
sector shall be responsible for formulating the rule of critical information infrastructure determination applicable to their respective industry or sector,
and determine the critical information infrastructure operators in their industry or sector.
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On July 12, 2021, the MIIT and two other authorities jointly issued the Provisions on the Administration of Security Vulnerabilities of Network
Products, or the Provisions. The Provisions state that, no organization or individual may abuse the security vulnerabilities of network products to engage
in activities that endanger network security, or to illegally collect, sell, or publish the information on such security vulnerabilities. Anyone who is aware
of the aforesaid offences shall not provide technical support, advertising, payment settlement and other assistance to the relevant offenders. According to
the Provisions, network product providers, network operators, and platforms collecting network product security vulnerabilities shall establish and
improve channels for receiving network product security vulnerability information and keep such channels available, and retain network product
security vulnerability information reception logs for at least six months. The Provisions also bans provision of undisclosed vulnerabilities to overseas
organizations or individuals other than to the product providers.
On October 29, 2021, the CAC issued the Measures for Security Assessment of Cross-border Data Transfer (Draft for Comment). According to
these measures, in addition to the self-risk assessment requirement for provision of any data outside China, a data processor shall apply to the competent
cyberspace department for data security assessment and clearance of outbound data transfer in any of the following events: (i) outbound transfer of
personal information and important data collected and generated by an operator of critical information infrastructure; (ii) outbound transfer of important
data; (iii) outbound transfer of personal data by a data processor which has processed more than one million users’ personal data; (iv) outbound transfer
of more than one hundred thousand users’ personal information or more than ten thousand users’ sensitive personal information cumulatively; (v) such
other circumstances where ex-ante security assessment and evaluation of cross-border data transfer is required by the CAC.
On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law, which integrates the scattered rules with
respect to personal information rights and privacy protection and took effect on November 1, 2021. The Personal Information Protection Law requires,
among others, that (i) the processing of personal information should have a clear and reasonable purpose which should be directly related to the
processing purpose and should be conducted in a method that has the minimum impact on personal rights and interests, and (ii) the collection of
personal information should be limited to the minimum scope as necessary to achieve the processing purpose and avoid the excessive collection of
personal information. Personal information processors shall adopt necessary measures to safeguard the security of the personal information they handle.
The offending entities could be ordered to correct, or to suspend or terminate the provision of services, and face confiscation of illegal income, fines or
other penalties.
In addition, the State Secrecy Bureau has issued provisions authorizing the blocking of access to any website it deems to be leaking state secrets or
failing to comply with the relevant legislation regarding the protection of state secrets during online information distribution. Specifically, internet
companies in the PRC with bulletin boards, chat rooms or similar services must apply for specific approval prior to operating such services.
Furthermore, the Provisions on Technological Measures for Internet Security Protection, promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security and
became effective in March 2006, require all ICP operators to keep records of certain information about its users (including user registration information,
log-in and log-out time, IP address, content and time of posts by users) for at least 60 days and submit the above information as required by laws and
regulations. The Decision on Strengthening Network Information Protection, or the Network Information Protection Decision, which was promulgated
by the PRC National People’s Congress in December 2012, states that ICP operators must request identity information from users when ICP operators
provide information publication services to the users. If ICP operators come across prohibited information, they must immediately cease the
transmission of such information, delete the information, keep relevant records, and report to relevant government authorities.
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On October 21, 2019, the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the PRC jointly issued the Interpretations on Certain
Issues Regarding the Applicable of Law in the Handling of Criminal Case Involving Illegal Use of Information Networks and Assisting Committing
Internet Crimes, which came into effect on November 1, 2019, and further clarifies the meaning of Internet service provider and the severe situations of
the relevant crimes.
Regulations on Internet Privacy
The PRC Constitution states that PRC law protects the freedom and privacy of communications of citizens and prohibits infringement of these
rights. In recent years, PRC government authorities have enacted legislation on internet use to protect personal information from any unauthorized
disclosure. The Network Information Protection Decision provides that electronic information that identifies a citizen or involves privacy of any citizen
is protected by law and must not be unlawfully collected or provided to others. ICP operators collecting or using personal electronic information of
citizens must specify the purposes, manners and scopes of information collection and uses, obtain consent of the relevant citizens, and keep the collected
personal information confidential. ICP operators are prohibited from disclosing, tampering with, damaging, selling or illegally providing others with,
collected personal information. ICP operators are required to take technical and other measures to prevent the collected personal information from any
unauthorized disclosure, damage or loss. The Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services prohibit an ICP operator from insulting or
slandering a third party or infringing upon the lawful rights and interests of a third party. According to the Provisions on Protection of Personal
Information of Telecommunication and Internet Users, which was promulgated by MIIT and became effective in September 2013, telecommunication
business operators and ICP operators are responsible for the security of the personal information of users they collect or use in the course of their
provision of services. Without obtaining the consent from the users, telecommunication business operators and ICP operators may not collect or use the
users’ personal information. The personal information collected or used in the course of provision of services by the telecommunication business
operators or ICP operators must be kept in strict confidence, and may not be divulged, tampered with or damaged, and may not be sold or illegally
provided to others. The ICP operators are required to take certain measures to prevent any divulgence of, damage to, tampering with or loss of users’
personal information. In accordance with the Cyber Security Law, network operators are required to collect and use personal information in compliance
with the principles of legitimacy, properness and necessity, and strictly within the scope of authorization by the subject of personal information unless
otherwise prescribed by laws or regulations. In the event of any unauthorized disclosure, damage or loss of collected personal information, network
operators must take immediate remedial measures, notify the affected users and report the incidents to the relevant authorities in a timely manner. If any
user knows that a network operator illegally collects and uses his or her personal information in violation of laws, regulations or any agreement with the
user, or the collected and stored personal information is inaccurate or wrong, the user has the right to request the network operator to delete or correct
the relevant collected personal information.
The relevant telecommunications authorities are further authorized to order ICP operators to rectify unauthorized disclosure. ICP operators are
subject to legal liability, including warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses or filings, closing of the relevant websites,
administrative punishment, criminal liabilities, or civil liabilities, if they violate relevant provisions on internet privacy. Pursuant to the Ninth
Amendment to the Criminal Law issued by the Standing Committee in August 2015 and becoming effective in November 2015, the standards of crime
of infringing citizens’ personal information were amended accordingly and the criminal culpability of unlawful collection, transaction, and provision of
personal information has been reinforced. In addition, any ICP provider that fails to fulfill the obligations related to internet information security
administration as required by applicable laws and refuses to rectify upon orders, will be subject to criminal liability for (i) any dissemination of illegal
information in large scale; (ii) any severe effect due to the leakage of the client’s information; (iii) any serious loss of evidence of criminal activities; or
(iv) other severe situations, and any individual or entity that (x) sells or provides personal information to others unlawfully, or (y) steals or illegally
obtains any personal information, will be subject to criminal liability in severe situations. In addition, the Interpretations of the Supreme People’s Court
and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of the PRC
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on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Infringing Personal Information, effective in June 2017, have
clarified certain standards for the conviction and sentencing in relation to personal information infringement. The PRC government has the power and
authority to order ICP operators to turn over personal information if an internet user posts any prohibited content or engages in illegal activities on the
internet. The Civil Code further provides in a stand-alone chapter of right of personality and reiterate that the personal information of a natural person
shall be protected by the law. Any organization or individual shall legitimately obtain such personal information of others in due course on
a need-to-know basis and ensure the safety and privacy of such information, and refrain from excessively handling or using such information.
With respect to the security of information collected and used by mobile apps, pursuant to the Announcement of Conducting Special Supervision
against the Illegal Collection and Use of Personal Information by Apps, which was issued on January 23, 2019, app operators should collect and use
personal information in compliance with the Cyber Security Law and should be responsible for the security of personal information obtained from users
and take effective measures to strengthen the personal information protection. Furthermore, app operators should not force their users to make
authorization by means of bundling, suspending installation or in other default forms and should not collect personal information in violation of laws,
regulations or breach of user agreements. Such regulatory requirements were emphasized by the Notice on the Special Rectification of Apps Infringing
upon User’s Personal Rights and Interests, which was issued by MIIT on October 31, 2019. On November 28, 2019, the CAC, the MIIT, the Ministry of
Public Security and the SAMR jointly issued the Methods of Identifying Illegal Acts of Apps to Collect and Use Personal Information. This regulation
further illustrates certain commonly-seen illegal practices of apps operators in terms of personal information protection, including “failure to publicize
rules for collecting and using personal information”, “failure to expressly state the purpose, manner and scope of collecting and using personal
information”, “collection and use of personal information without consent of users of such App”, “collecting personal information irrelevant to the
services provided by such app in violation of the principle of necessity”, “provision of personal information to others without users’ consent”, “failure to
provide the function of deleting or correcting personal information as required by laws” and “failure to publish information such as methods for
complaints and reporting”. Among others, any of the following acts of an app operator will constitute “collection and use of personal information
without consent of users”: (i) collecting an user’s personal information or activating the permission for collecting any user’s personal information
without obtaining such user’s consent; (ii) collecting personal information or activating the permission for collecting the personal information of any
user who explicitly refuses such collection, or repeatedly seeking for user’s consent such that the user’s normal use of such app is disturbed; (iii) any
user’s personal information which has been actually collected by the app operator or the permission for collecting any user’s personal information
activated by the app operator is beyond the scope of personal information which such user authorizes such app operator to collect; (iv) seeking for any
user’s consent in a non-explicit manner; (v) modifying any user’s settings for activating the permission for collecting any personal information without
such user’s consent; (vi) using users’ personal information and any algorithms to directionally push any information, without providing the option
of non-directed pushing such information; (vii) misleading users to permit collecting their personal information or activating the permission for
collecting such users’ personal information by improper methods such as fraud and deception; (viii) failing to provide users with the means and methods
to withdraw their permission of collecting personal information; and (ix) collecting and using personal information in violation of the rules for collecting
and using personal information promulgated by such app operator.
On August 22, 2019, the CAC promulgated the Children Information Protection Provisions, which took effect on October 1, 2019, requiring that
before collecting, using, transferring or disclosing the personal information of a child, the Internet service operator should inform the child’s guardians
in a noticeable and clear manner and obtain their consents. Meanwhile, Internet service operators should take measures like encryption when storing
children’s personal information. On March 12, 2021, the CAC and three other authorities jointly issued the Rules on the Scope of Necessary Personal
Information for Common Types of Mobile Internet Applications. The Rules specifies the scope of necessary personal information to be collected each
for a variety of common mobile internet applications, such as maps and navigation apps, online ride-hailing apps, instant
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messaging apps, online community apps. Operators of such apps shall not refuse to provide basic services to users on the ground of users’ refusal to
provide their personal non-essential information. On April 26, 2021, the MIIT issued the Interim Administrative Provisions on Personal Information
Protection in Internet Mobile Applications (Draft for Comment). The draft of the Interim Administrative Provisions on Personal Information Protection
in Internet Mobile Applications sets forth two principles of collection and utilization of personal information, namely “explicit consent” and “minimum
necessity.”
On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee adopted the Personal Information Protection Law which took effect on November 1, 2021. The
Personal Information Protection Law integrates provisions from several rules with respect to personal information rights and privacy protection.
According to the Personal Information Protection Law, personal information refers to information related to identified or identifiable natural persons
which is recorded by electronic or other means (excluding the anonymized information). The Personal Information Protection Law provides the
circumstances under which a personal information processor could process personal information, such as where the consent of the individual concerned
is obtained and where it is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract to which such individual is a party to such contract. In addition, it
imposes further obligations on a personal information processor that provides for basic internet platform services, has large amount of users, has
complicated business activities, including, among others, formulating of an independent institution mainly comprising of outside members to supervise
personal information processing activities, termination of provision of services for product or service providers on the platform whose personal
information processing activities are in material violation of laws and regulations, and issuing personal information protection social responsibilities
reports regularly. The Personal Information Protection Law also requires, among others, that (i) the processing of personal information should have a
clear and reasonable purpose which should be directly related to the processing purpose, in a method that has the least impact on personal rights and
interests, and (ii) the collection of personal information should be limited to the minimum scope necessary to achieve the processing purpose to avoid
the excessive collection of personal information. Different types of personal information and personal information processing will be subject to various
rules on consent, transfer, and security. Entities handling personal information shall bear responsibilities for their personal information handling
activities, and adopt necessary measures to safeguard the security of the personal information they handle. The entities failing to comply could be
ordered to correct, or suspend or terminate the provision of services, and face confiscation of illegal income, fines or other penalties.
Regulations on Anti-Monopoly Matters related to Internet Platform Companies.
The PRC Anti-monopoly Law, which took effect on August 1, 2008, prohibits monopolistic conduct such as entering into monopoly agreements,
abusing market dominance and concentration of undertakings conducted illegally that may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition. On
October 23, 2021, the Standing Committee issued a second draft amendment to the amended Anti-Monopoly Law for public comments, which proposes
to increase the fines for illegal concentration of business operators to “no more than ten percent of its preceding year’s sales revenue if the concentration
of business operator has or may have an effect of excluding or limiting competition; or a fine of up to RMB5 million if the concentration of business
operator does not have an effect of excluding or limiting competition.” The draft also proposes for the relevant authority to investigate any concentration
where there is evidence that such concentration has or may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition, even if such concentration does not
reach the filing threshold.
On February 7, 2021, the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council officially promulgated the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet
Platforms. Pursuant to an official interpretation from the Anti-monopoly Commission of the State Council, the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet
Platforms mainly covers five aspects, including general provisions, monopoly agreements, abusing market dominance, concentration of undertakings,
and abusing of administrative powers eliminating or restricting competition. The Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms prohibits certain
monopolistic acts of internet platforms so as to protect market competition and safeguard interests of consumers and undertakings participating in
internet platform economy, including, without limitation, prohibiting platforms with dominant position from abusing their market dominance
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(such as discriminating customers in terms of pricing and other transactional conditions using big data and analytics, coercing counterparties into
exclusivity arrangements through entering into written or oral agreements or using technology means to block competitors’ interface or reduce positions
in search results of goods displays, using bundle services to sell different services or products, compulsory collection of unnecessary user data). In
addition, the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for Internet Platforms also reinforces antitrust merger review for internet platform related transactions to
safeguard market competition. On August 17, 2021, the SMAR issued the Provisions on Prohibition of Unfair Competition on the Internet (Draft for
Comments). These Provisions also prohibit certain activities of business operators which may restrict competition, including among others, using data,
algorithms and other technical means to commit traffic hijacking, interference, malicious incompatibility and other improprieties to influence user
choices or hinder or damage the normal operation of network products or services offered by other business operators.
Regulations on Overseas Offering and Listing
On July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC government authorities issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance
with the Law. These opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas
listings by China-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 China-based overseas-listed companies.
On December 27, 2021, the NDRC and the MOC jointly issued the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment
Access (2021 Version), or the 2021 Negative List, which became effective on January 1, 2022. Pursuant to such Special Administrative Measures, if a
domestic company engaging in the prohibited business stipulated in the 2021 Negative List seeks an overseas offering and listing, it shall obtain the
approval from the competent governmental authorities. Besides, the foreign investors of the company shall not be involved in the company’s operation
and management, and their shareholding percentage shall be subject, mutatis mutandis, to the relevant regulations on the domestic securities investments
by foreign investors.
On December 24, 2021, the State Council issued a draft of the Provisions of the State Council on the Administration of Overseas Securities
Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Draft Provisions, and the CSRC issued a draft of Administration Measures for the Filing of
Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Draft Administration Measures, for public comments. According to the Draft
Provisions and the Draft Administration Measures, the overseas offering and listing by a domestic company, whether directly or indirectly, shall be filed
with the CSRC. Specifically, the determination of an indirect offering and listing will be conducted on a “substance over form” basis, and an offering
and listing shall be considered as an indirect overseas offering and listing by a domestic company if the issuer meets the following conditions: (i) the
operating income, gross profit, total assets, or net assets of the domestic enterprise in the most recent fiscal year was more than 50% of the relevant line
item in the issuer’s audited consolidated financial statement for that year; and (ii) senior management personnel responsible for business operations and
management are mostly PRC citizens or are ordinarily resident in the PRC, and the main place of business is in the PRC or carried out in the PRC.
According to the Draft Administration Measures, an overseas offering and listing is prohibited under any of the following circumstances: (i) if the
intended securities offering and listing is specifically prohibited by national laws and regulations and relevant provisions; (ii) if the intended securities
offering and listing may constitute a threat to or endangers national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State
Council in accordance with law; (iii) if there are material ownership disputes over the equity, major assets, and core technology, etc. of the issuer; (iv) if,
in the past three years, the domestic enterprise or its controlling shareholders or actual controllers have committed corruption, bribery, embezzlement,
misappropriation of property, or other criminal offenses disruptive to the order of the socialist market economy, or are currently under judicial
investigation for suspicion of criminal offenses, or are under investigation for suspicion of major violations; (v) if, in past three years, directors,
supervisors, or senior executives have been subject to administrative punishments for severe violations, or are currently under judicial investigation for
suspicion of criminal offenses, or are under investigation for suspicion of major violations; (vi) other circumstances as prescribed by the State Council.
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According to the Draft Administration Measures, the issuer or its affiliated domestic company, as the case may be, shall file with the CSRC
(i) with respect to its initial public offering and listing within three business days, after its initial filing of the listing application to the regulator in the
place of the intended listing, (ii) with respect to its follow-on offering within three business days after completion of the follow-on offering, (iii) with
respect to its follow-on offering for purpose of acquiring specific assets, within three business days after the first public announcement of the
transaction, and (iv) with respect to listing by means of reverse takeover, share swap, acquisition and similar transactions, within three business days
after its initial filing of the listing application or the first public announcement of the transaction, as case may be. Non-compliance with the Draft
Administration Measures or an overseas listing completed in breach of Draft Administration Measures may result in a warning on the relevant domestic
companies or a fine of 1-10 million RMB on them. If the circumstances are serious, they may be ordered to suspend their business or suspend their
business pending rectification, or their permits or businesses license may be revoked. Furthermore, the controlling shareholder, actual controllers,
directors, supervisors, and other legally appointed persons of the domestic enterprises may be warned, or fined between 500,000—5 million RMB either
individually or collectively.
Regulations on Foreign Exchange
Foreign Currency Exchange
Pursuant to the Foreign Currency Administration Rules, as most recently amended in 2008, and various regulations issued by SAFE and other
relevant PRC government authorities, RMB is freely convertible to the extent of current account items, such as trade related receipts and payments,
interest and dividends. Capital account items, such as direct equity investments, loans and repatriation of investment, unless expressly exempted by laws
and regulations, still require prior approval from SAFE or its provincial branch for conversion of RMB into a foreign currency, such as U.S. dollars, and
remittance of the foreign currency outside of the PRC.
In August 2008, SAFE issued 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, or SAFE Circular 142, regulating the conversion by a foreign-invested
enterprise of foreign currency-registered capital into RMB by restricting how the converted RMB may be used. In addition, SAFE promulgated Circular
45 on November 9, 2011 in order to clarify the application of SAFE Circular 142. Under SAFE Circular 142 and Circular 45, the RMB capital converted
from foreign currency registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise may only be used for purposes within the business scope approved by the
applicable administrative authority and may not be used for equity investments within the PRC. In addition, SAFE strengthened its oversight of the flow
and use of RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital of foreign-invested enterprises. The use of RMB capital may not be changed
without SAFE’s approval, and RMB capital may not in any case be used to repay RMB loans if the proceeds of the loans have not been used.
To further reform the foreign exchange administration system in order to satisfy and facilitate the business and capital operations of foreign-
invested enterprises, SAFE issued the Circular on the Relevant Issues Concerning the Launch of Reforming Trial of the Administration Model of the
Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises in Certain Areas in July 2014, which became effective on August 4, 2014. This
circular suspends the application of SAFE Circular 142 in certain areas and allows a foreign-invested enterprise registered in these areas with a business
scope including “investment” to use the RMB capital converted from foreign currency registered capital for equity investments within the PRC. SAFE
released the Notice on the Reform of the Administration Method for the Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises or
SAFE Circular 19, in March 2015, which came into force and superseded SAFE Circular 142 on June 1, 2015. Circular 19 allows foreign-invested
enterprises to settle their foreign exchange capital on a discretionary basis according to the actual needs of their business operation and provides the
procedures for foreign-invested companies to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investment. Nevertheless,
Circular 19 also reiterates the principle that Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be
directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope.
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In June 2016, SAFE issued the Circular on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital
Accounts, or Circular 16, which took effect on the same day. Compared to Circular 19, Circular 16 provides that discretionary foreign exchange
settlement applies to foreign exchange capital, foreign debt offering proceeds and remitted foreign listing proceeds, and the corresponding Renminbi
obtained from foreign exchange settlement are not restricted from extending loans to related parties or repaying the intercompany loans (including
advances by third parties). However, there still exist substantial uncertainties with respect to the interpretation and implementation of Circular 16 in
practice.
In November 2012, SAFE promulgated the Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Direct
Investment, as amended, which substantially amends and simplifies the foreign exchange procedure. Pursuant to this circular, the opening of various
special purpose foreign exchange accounts, such as pre-establishment expenses accounts, foreign exchange capital accounts and guarantee accounts, the
reinvestment of RMB proceeds by foreign investors in the PRC, and remittance of foreign exchange profits and dividends by a foreign-invested
enterprise to its foreign shareholders no longer require the approval or verification of SAFE, and multiple capital accounts for the same entity may be
opened in different provinces, which was not possible previously. In addition, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Printing and Distributing the
Provisions on Foreign Exchange Administration over Domestic Direct Investment by Foreign Investors and the Supporting Documents in May 2013, as
amended, which specifies that the administration by SAFE or its local branches over direct investment by foreign investors in the PRC shall be
conducted by way of registration and banks shall process foreign exchange business relating to the direct investment in the PRC based on the
registration information provided by SAFE and its branches.
After a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, became
effective on June 1, 2015, instead of applying for approvals regarding foreign exchange registrations of foreign direct investment and overseas direct
investment from SAFE, entities and individuals will be required to apply for such foreign exchange registrations from qualified banks. The qualified
banks, under the supervision of SAFE, directly examine the applications and conduct the registration.
On October 23, 2019, SAFE issued the Circular on Further Promoting Cross-border Trade and Investment Facilitation, or SAFE Circular 28.
Among others, SAFE Circular 28 relaxes the prior restrictions and allows the foreign-invested enterprises without equity investment as in their approved
business scope to use their capital obtained from foreign exchange settlement to make domestic equity investment as long as the investments are real
and in compliance with the foreign investment-related laws and regulations. In addition, SAFE Circular 28 stipulates that qualified enterprises in certain
pilot areas may use their capital income from registered capital, foreign debt and overseas listing, for the purpose of domestic payments without
providing authenticity certifications to the relevant banks in advance for those domestic payments. Payments for transactions that take place within the
PRC must be made in RMB. Foreign currency revenues received by PRC companies may be repatriated into the PRC or retained outside of the PRC in
accordance with requirements and terms specified by SAFE.
Dividend Distribution
Wholly foreign-owned enterprises and Sino-foreign equity joint ventures in the PRC may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if
any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Additionally, these foreign-invested enterprises may not pay dividends
unless they set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits after tax each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds, until such time as the
accumulative amount of such fund reaches 50% of the enterprise’s registered capital. In addition, these companies also may allocate a portion of their
after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash
dividends.
Regulations governing abovementioned dividend distribution arrangements have been replaced by the Foreign Investment Law and its
implantation rules, which do not provide specific dividend distribution rules for
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foreign invested enterprises. However, the Foreign Investment Law and its implementation rules provide that after the conversion from a wholly foreign-
owned enterprise or sino-foreign equity joint venture to a foreign invested enterprise under the Foreign Investment Law, distribution method of gains
agreed in the joint venture agreements may continue to apply.
Foreign Exchange Registration of Offshore Investment by PRC Residents
Pursuant to SAFE’s Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for PRC Residents to Engage in Financing and
Inbound Investment via Overseas Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular No. 75, issued in October 2005, and a series of implementation rules and
guidance, including the circular relating to operating procedures that came into effect in July 2011, PRC residents, including PRC resident natural
persons or PRC companies, must register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment in an overseas
special purpose vehicle, or SPV, for the purposes of overseas equity financing activities, and to update such registration in the event of any significant
changes with respect to that offshore company. 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 No. 37, on July 4, 2014,
which replaced SAFE Circular No. 75. SAFE Circular No. 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of 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 No. 37 as a “special purpose
vehicle.” The term “control” under SAFE Circular No. 37 is broadly defined as the operation rights, beneficiary rights or decision-making rights
acquired by the PRC residents in the offshore special purpose vehicles or PRC companies by such means as acquisition, trust, proxy, voting rights,
repurchase, convertible bonds or other arrangements. SAFE Circular No. 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of any changes
with respect to the basic information of the special purpose vehicle, such as changes in a PRC resident individual shareholder, name or operation period;
or any significant changes with respect to the special purpose vehicle, such as an increase or decrease of capital contributed by PRC individuals, a share
transfer or exchange, merger, division or other material event. If the shareholders of the offshore holding company who are PRC residents do not
complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, the PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and proceeds from any
reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to the offshore company, and the offshore company may be restricted in its ability to contribute
additional capital to its PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with the SAFE registration and amendment requirements described above could
result in liability under PRC law for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions. We have notified holders of ordinary shares of our company
whom we know are PRC residents to register with the local SAFE branch and update their registrations as required under the SAFE regulations
described above. After SAFE Notice 13 became effective on June 1, 2015, entities and individuals are required to apply for foreign exchange
registration of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment, including those required under SAFE Circular No. 37, with qualified banks,
instead of SAFE. The qualified banks, under the supervision of SAFE, directly examine the applications and conduct the registration. We are aware that
Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman, chief executive officer and principal shareholder, who is a PRC resident, has registered with the relevant local
SAFE branch. We, however, cannot provide any assurances that all of our shareholders who are PRC residents will file all applicable registrations or
update previously filed registrations as required by these SAFE regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC resident shareholders to comply with the
registration procedures may subject the PRC resident shareholders to fines and legal sanctions, restrict our cross-border investment activities, or limit
our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to or obtain foreign exchange dominated loans from our company.
Under the Administration Measures on Individual Foreign Exchange Control issued by the People’s Bank of China, or the PBOC, in December
2006 and its implementation rules issued in January 2007 and revised in May 2016, all foreign exchange matters involved in employee share ownership
plans and share option plans in which PRC citizens participate require approval from SAFE or its authorized branch. In February 2012, SAFE
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promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plans of
Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, or the Stock Option Rule, replacing the earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Under the Stock Option Rule,
PRC residents who are granted stock options by an overseas publicly listed company are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such
overseas publicly listed company, to register with SAFE and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC resident employees who have been
granted stock options are subject to these regulations. We have designated our PRC subsidiary Baidu Online to handle the registration and other
procedures required by the Stock Option Rule. Failure of the option holders to complete their SAFE registrations may subject these PRC employees to
fines and legal sanctions and may also limit the ability of the overseas publicly listed company to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary
and limit the PRC subsidiary’s ability to distribute dividends.
Regulations on Labor
The Labor Contract Law of the PRC, or the Labor Contract Law, which became effective in January 2008 and last amended in December 2012,
and its implementation rules, impose more restrictions on employers and have been deemed to increase labor costs for employers, compared to the
Labor Law of the PRC, or the Labor Law, which became effective in January 1995. For example, pursuant to the Labor Contract Law, an employer is
obliged to sign a labor contract with an unlimited term with an employee if the employer continues to hire the employee after the expiration of two
consecutive fixed-term labor contracts. The employer has to compensate the employee upon the expiration of a fixed-term labor contract, unless the
employee refuses to renew such contract on terms the same as or more favorable to the employee than those contained in the expired contract. The
employer also has to indemnify an employee if the employer terminates a labor contract without a cause permitted by law. In addition, under the
Regulations on Paid Annual Leave for Employees, which became effective in January 2008, employees who have served more than one year for an
employer are entitled to a paid vacation ranging from 5 to 15 days per year, depending on their length of service. Employees who waive such vacation
time at the request of employers must be compensated for three times their regular salaries for each waived vacation day.
In addition, according to the PRC Social Insurance Law and the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Provident Funds, employers in
China must provide employees with welfare schemes covering pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work-related injury
insurance, medical insurance and housing provident funds.
Regulations on Taxation
For a discussion of applicable PRC tax regulations, see “Item 5.A. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—
Taxation.”
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C. Organizational Structure
The following is a list of our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F:
Name
Baidu Holdings Limited
Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited
Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Baidu (China) Co., Ltd.
Baidu.com Times Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Baidu International Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd.
Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd.
iQIYI, Inc.
Beijing QIYI Century Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
Beijing iQIYI Science & Technology Co., Ltd.
Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.
Beijing Duyou Information Technology Co., Ltd.
Place of Formation
British Virgin Islands
Hong Kong
China
China
China
China
China
China
Cayman Islands
China
China
China
China
Relationship
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
Consolidated affiliated entity
Consolidated affiliated entity
Majority-owned subsidiary
Majority-owned subsidiary
Consolidated affiliated entity
Wholly owned subsidiary
Wholly owned subsidiary
The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of
this annual report on Form 20-F:
Notes:
(1)
Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. is 99.5% owned by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, and 0.5% owned by Ms. Shanshan Cui, an
executive officer of ours. Please see “Item 6.E. Directors, Senior Management and
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Employees—Share Ownership” for details of Mr. Robin Yanhong Li’s beneficial ownership in our company. Ms. Shanshan Cui’s beneficial ownership of our company is less than 1%
of our total issued and outstanding shares.
Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. is 50% owned by Ms. Shanshan Cui and 50% owned by Mr. Zhixiang Liang. Both Ms. Shanshan Cui and Mr. Zhixiang Liang are our employees,
and their respective beneficial ownership in our company is less than 1% of our total issued and outstanding shares.
Beijing iQIYI Science & Technology Co., Ltd. is wholly-owned by Mr. Xiaohua Geng, senior vice president of iQIYI. Mr. Xiaohua Geng is not beneficially interested in any shares of
our company.
Baidu Holdings Limited indirectly controls Beijing Duyou Information Technology Co., Ltd through its wholly owned subsidiaries.
(2)
(3)
(4)
Contractual Arrangements with Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities and the Nominee Shareholders
PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose conditions on foreign investment in internet content, value-added telecommunication-based online
marketing, audio and video services and mobile application distribution businesses. Accordingly, we operate these businesses in China through our
consolidated affiliated entities. We have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with our consolidated affiliated entities and the nominee
shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities. These contractual arrangements enable us to:
•
•
•
receive the economic benefits that could potentially be significant to our consolidated affiliated entities in consideration for the services
provided by our subsidiaries;
exercise effective control over our consolidated affiliated entities; and
hold an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our consolidated affiliated entities when and to the extent
permitted by PRC law.
These contractual agreements among our subsidiaries, our consolidated affiliated entities and their respective shareholders generally include proxy
agreements, exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements or exclusive purchase option agreements, loan agreements, operating agreements
or business operation agreements, exclusive technology consulting and services agreements, and equity pledge agreements, as the case may be. As for
some of our consolidated affiliated entities, our subsidiaries have additionally entered into the business cooperation agreements, power of attorney,
license agreements and/or commitment letters (as the case may be) with these consolidated affiliated entities and their respective shareholders. We do
not have any equity interests in our consolidated affiliated entities. However, as a result of contractual arrangements, we have effective control over and
are considered the primary beneficiary of these companies, and we have consolidated the financial results of these companies in our consolidated
financial statements. The nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and Beijing iQIYI, our consolidated affiliated entities, are directors or
members of senior management of our company/ iQIYI. We/iQIYI consider such people suitable to act as the nominee shareholders of these
consolidated affiliated entities because of, among other considerations, their contribution to our company/iQIYI, their competence and their length of
service with and loyalty to our company/iQIYI. If our consolidated affiliated entities or the nominee shareholders fail to perform their respective
obligations under the contractual arrangements, we could be limited in our ability to enforce the contractual arrangements that give us effective control
over our consolidated affiliated entities. Furthermore, if we are unable to maintain effective control, we would not be able to continue to consolidate the
financial results of our consolidated affiliated entities in our financial statements. In 2019, 2020 and 2021, we derived 40%, 43% and 44% of our
external revenues from our consolidated affiliated entities, respectively. Based on the book value of Baidu Netcom and Beijing Perusal and taking into
account major adjustments for intra-group transactions, the revenue contribution of Baidu Netcom and Beijing Perusal to us for each of the years 2019,
2020 and 2021 was 14%, 15% and 14% and 0%, 0% and 0%, respectively. For a detailed revenue contribution, see “Item 3.A. Selected Financial Data—
Financial Information Related to the Consolidated Affiliated Entities.” For a detailed description of the regulatory environment that necessitates the
adoption of our corporate structure, see “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations.” For a detailed description of the
risks associated with our corporate structure, see “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure.”
In August 2018, we completed the divestiture of a majority equity stake in our financial services business. The divested financial services business
has been renamed as Du Xiaoman. After the divestiture, we hold a
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minority equity interest in Du Xiaoman which was accounted for as an equity method investment, and have deconsolidated the financial results of Du
Xiaoman from our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Contractual Arrangements Relating to Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the contractual arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom, Beijing Perusal and Beijing
iQIYI.
Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement
Pursuant to the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has the exclusive
right to provide to Baidu Netcom technology consulting and services related to, among other things, the maintenance of servers, software development,
design of advertisements, and e-commerce technical services. Baidu Online owns the intellectual property rights resulting from the performance of this
agreement. Baidu Netcom agrees to pay service fees to Baidu Online and Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion
without the consent of Baidu Netcom. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and
extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
Each of the exclusive technology consulting and services agreements between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal and Beijing QIYI Century and
Beijing iQIYI contains substantially the same terms as those described above, except that the terms regarding the determinant of the service fees may
differ and that the initial term of the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI dated
November 23, 2011 is ten years, and has been extended to November 23, 2031.
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, Baidu Netcom did not pay any service fees to Baidu Online. Beijing Perusal did not pay any service fees to Baidu Online
due to Beijing Perusal’s operating loss in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Operating Agreement or Business Operation Agreement
Pursuant to the operating agreement amongst Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online
provides guidance and instructions on Baidu Netcom’s daily operations and financial affairs. In addition, Baidu Online agrees to guarantee Baidu
Netcom’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom’s business arrangements with any third party. In return, Baidu
Netcom agrees that without the prior consent of Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom will not engage in any transactions that could materially affect the assets,
liabilities, rights or operations of Baidu Netcom, including, without limitation, incurrence or assumption of any indebtedness, sale or purchase of any
assets or rights, incurrence of any encumbrance on any of its assets or intellectual property rights in favor of a third party or transfer of any agreements
relating to its business operation to any third party. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires
and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
The operating agreement amongst Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal and its shareholders contains substantially the same terms as those described
above.
Pursuant to the amended and restated business operation agreement dated January 30, 2013 amongst Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI and its
shareholder, Beijing QIYI Century provides guidance and instructions on Beijing iQIYI’s daily operations and financial affairs. In addition, Beijing
QIYI Century agrees to guarantee Beijing iQIYI’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Beijing iQIYI’s business arrangements
with any third party. The agreement can only be unilaterally revoked by Beijing QIYI Century. The initial term of the agreement is ten years, which has
been extended to January 30, 2033, and can be further extended at Beijing QIYI Century’s discretion.
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License Agreements
Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom have entered into a software license agreement and a web layout copyright license agreement. Pursuant to these
license agreements, Baidu Online has granted to Baidu Netcom the right to use, including, but not limited to, a software license and a web layout
copyright license. Baidu Netcom may only use the licenses in its own business operations. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole
discretion. The software license agreement and web layout copyright license agreement have been renewed since their original expiration and are in
effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
The web layout copyright license agreements that Baidu Online has entered into with Beijing Perusal contain substantially the same terms as those
between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom described above. The agreement is in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party
expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
Pursuant to the trademark license agreement and the software usage license agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI effective
November 23, 2011, Beijing QIYI Century granted a non-exclusive and non-transferable license, without sublicensing rights, to Beijing iQIYI to use its
trademarks and software. Beijing iQIYI may only use the licenses in its own business operations. Beijing QIYI Century has the right to adjust the
service fees at its sole discretion. The initial term of the two agreements is five years. The software usage license agreement may be extended upon the
written consent of Beijing QIYI Century, and has been extended to December 1, 2031. The trademark license agreement is automatically extended for
successive one-year periods after its expiration unless Beijing QIYI Century early terminates the agreement in accordance with the provisions of the
agreement.
Business Cooperation Agreement
Pursuant to the business cooperation agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI effective November 23, 2011, Beijing iQIYI
agrees to provide Beijing QIYI Century with services, including internet information services, online advertising and other services reasonably
necessary within the scope of Beijing QIYI Century’s business. Beijing iQIYI agrees to use technology services provided by Beijing QIYI Century on
its website, including, but not limited to, P2P download and video on-demand systems. Beijing QIYI Century agrees to pay specified service fees to
Beijing iQIYI as consideration for the internet information services and other services provided by Beijing iQIYI. Beijing iQIYI has the right to waive
the service fees at its discretion. The initial term of this agreement is ten years, which has been extended to November 23, 2031, and can be further
renewed at Beijing QIYI Century’s discretion.
Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement or Exclusive Purchase Option Agreements
Pursuant to the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement by and among our company, Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the
nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom have irrevocably granted our company or its designated person(s)
(including Baidu Online) an exclusive option to purchase, to the extent permitted under PRC law, all or part of the equity interests in Baidu Netcom for
the cost of the initial contributions to the registered capital or the minimum amount of consideration permitted by applicable PRC law. The nominee
shareholders must remit to Baidu Online any amount that is paid by Baidu Online in connection with the purchased equity interest as requested by our
company or its designated person(s) (including Baidu Online) to the extent permitted by the applicable laws. Our company or its designated person(s)
have sole discretion to decide when to exercise the option, whether in part or in full amount. Any and all dividends and other capital distributions from
Baidu Netcom to the nominee shareholders must be paid to Baidu, Inc. in full amount. Our company or its designated person(s) (including Baidu
Online) also have the exclusive right to cause the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom to transfer their equity interest in Baidu Netcom to our
company or any designated third party. Our company will provide unlimited financial support to Baidu Netcom,
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if Baidu Netcom becomes in need of any form of reasonable financial support in the normal operation of business. If Baidu Netcom were to incur any
loss and as a result cannot repay any loans from our company (through Baidu Online), our company will unconditionally forgive any such loans to
Baidu Netcom upon provision by Baidu Netcom of sufficient proof for its loss and incapacity to repay. The agreement will terminate upon the transfer
by the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom of all their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to our company or its designated person(s) or upon
expiration of the term of business of our company or Baidu Netcom.
Each of the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreements/exclusive purchase option agreements amongst our company, Baidu Online,
Beijing Perusal and its shareholders and iQIYI, Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI and its shareholders contains substantially the same terms as those
described above, except that the initial term of the amended and restated exclusive purchase option agreement amongst iQIYI, Beijing QIYI Century,
Beijing iQIYI and its shareholder is ten years, which has been extended to November 22, 2032, and can be further renewed at iQIYI’s discretion.
Commitment Letters
Pursuant to the commitment letter dated January 30, 2013, under the condition that Beijing iQIYI remains as a consolidated affiliated entity of
iQIYI under United States generally accepted accounting principles and the relevant contractual arrangements remain in effect, iQIYI and Beijing QIYI
Century undertake to provide financial support to Beijing iQIYI for any financial loss that might affect its business operation occurred before and after
the execution of the commitment letter as permitted by relevant laws. Such financial support shall be forgiven by iQIYI and Beijing QIYI Century.
Loan Agreements
Pursuant to loan agreements amongst Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online provided loans with an
aggregate amount of RMB13.4 billion to the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom solely for the latter to fund the capitalization of Baidu Netcom. The
loans can be repaid only with the proceeds from the sale of the nominee shareholders’ equity interest in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated
person(s). The term of the loan agreements with the two nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom will expire on July 9, 2029 and August 19, 2029,
respectively, and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration.
Pursuant to loan agreements amongst the shareholders of Beijing Perusal and Baidu Online, the amount of loans extended to the respective
shareholders of Beijing Perusal is RMB3.2 billion. The term of the loan agreements will expire on March 30, 2028 and October 29, 2029, respectively,
and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration. Each of the loan agreements amongst Baidu Online and the respective
shareholders of Beijing Perusal, and Beijing QIYI Century and the shareholders of Beijing iQIYI, contains substantially the same terms as those
described above, except that the amount of the loans and the contract expiration date varies. The term of the loan agreement amongst Beijing QIYI
Century and the shareholder of Beijing iQIYI will expire on June 23, 2031 and can be further extended upon the written notification from Beijing QIYI
Century.
Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney
Pursuant to the proxy agreement amongst our company and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of Baidu
Netcom agree to entrust all the rights to exercise their voting power and any other rights as shareholders of Baidu Netcom to the person(s) designated by
our company. Each of the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom has executed an irrevocable power of attorney to appoint the person(s) designated by
our company as their attorney-in-fact to vote on their behalf on all matters requiring shareholder approval. Any action taken by such attorney-in-fact in
relation to the entrusted rights shall be directed and approved by our
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company. The proxy agreement will be in effect for as long as the relevant nominee shareholder of Baidu Netcom holds any equity interests in Baidu
Netcom unless terminated in writing by our company. Each of the powers of attorney will be in effect for as long as the relevant nominee shareholder of
Baidu Netcom holds any equity interests in Baidu Netcom.
Each of the proxy agreements or shareholder voting rights trust agreements amongst our company and the shareholders of Beijing Perusal and
between Beijing QIYI Century and the shareholder of Beijing iQIYI contains substantially the same terms as those described above. Each of the proxy
agreements or shareholder voting rights trust agreements will be in effect for an unlimited term unless terminated in writing by our company or other
subsidiaries. Each of the powers of attorney or shareholder voting rights trust agreements will be in effect for as long as the shareholder of Beijing
Perusal or Beijing iQIYI holds any equity interests in Beijing Perusal or Beijing iQIYI, as the case may be.
Equity Pledge Agreement
Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement amongst Baidu Online and the nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the nominee shareholders of
Baidu Netcom shall pledge all of their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online to guarantee their obligations under the loan agreements and
Baidu Netcom’s performance of its obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and service agreement. If Baidu Netcom or the nominee
shareholders breach their respective contractual obligations, Baidu Online, as the pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the
pledged equity interests. The nominee shareholders of Baidu Netcom agree not to dispose of the pledged equity interests or take any actions that would
prejudice Baidu Online’s interest. The equity pledge agreement will terminate on the date when Baidu Netcom and its shareholders have completed all
their respective obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and service agreement and the loan agreements.
Each of the equity pledge agreements amongst Baidu Online and the shareholders of Beijing Perusal and Beijing QIYI Century and the
shareholder of Beijing iQIYI contains substantially the same terms, including its term to expiration, as those described above.
Through design of the aforementioned agreements, the nominee shareholders of these affiliated entities have effectively assigned their full voting
rights to our company/iQIYI, which gives our company/iQIYI the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the affiliated entities’
economic performance. Our company/ iQIYI obtains the ability to approve decisions made by the affiliated entities and the ability to acquire the equity
interests in the affiliated entities when permitted by PRC law. Our company/iQIYI is obligated to absorb losses of the affiliated entities that could
potentially be significant to the affiliated entities through providing unlimited financial support to the affiliated entities or is entitled to receive economic
benefits from the affiliated entities that could potentially be significant to the affiliated entities through the exclusive technology consulting and service
fees. As a result of these contractual arrangements, our company/iQIYI is determined to be the primary beneficiary of these affiliated entities. Despite
the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between us and these affiliated entities through these contractual
arrangements, and we consolidate these affiliated entities through our company/iQIYI.
We have also entered into contractual arrangements with several other affiliated entities and their respective nominee shareholders, including
iQIYI’s affiliated entities and their respective nominee shareholders, through some of our subsidiaries other than Baidu Online and Beijing QIYI
Century, which result in our company/iQIYI or relevant subsidiaries, as the case may be, being the primary beneficiaries of the relevant affiliated
entities. As a result of these contractual arrangements, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between us and the relevant affiliated entities, and we
consolidate these affiliated entities through the subsidiaries.
D.
Property, Plant and Equipment
Our corporate headquarters, Baidu Campus, is located in Shangdi, Haidian district of Beijing. We own the office building of Baidu Campus and a
nearby office building, Baidu Science Park, which is located in
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Malianwa, Haidian district of Beijing. Besides Beijing, we own and occupy office buildings in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
We also lease offices in Beijing, many other cities in mainland China and places outside of mainland China, including in the United States,
Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and Singapore.
Our servers are hosted at the internet data centers of major telecom operators, including China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile, in over
ten selected cities across China. Our content delivery network covers most of the major cities in China.
In 2019, we completed the construction of our office building in Shenzhen, China.
Item 4A.
Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 5.
Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited
consolidated financial statements and the related notes included in this annual report on Form 20-F. This report contains forward-looking statements. See
“Forward-Looking Information.” In evaluating our business, you should carefully consider the information provided under the caption “Item 3.D. Key
Information—Risk Factors” in this annual report on Form 20-F. We caution you that our businesses and financial performance are subject to substantial
risks and uncertainties.
A. Operating Results
Overview
We are a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation. We were founded to enable people to quickly find relevant information on the
Internet, amidst the huge volume of information generated daily. As the gateway to the Internet, we connect our users to a large information and
knowledge-centric content and services ecosystem through our open search-plus-feed platform. Years of tagging, understanding and intelligently
processing all forms of content on the Internet with AI—text, images and videos—has helped us build and refine our unique AI capabilities and develop
Baidu Brain, our core AI technology engine. Baidu Brain in turn has enabled us to further develop leading AI technologies and commercialize them
through products and services for consumers, enterprises and the public sector.
Our operations are primarily conducted in China, and revenues are primarily generated from China. Our total revenues were RMB107.4 billion in
2019 and RMB107.1 billion in 2020, and increased by 16% to RMB124.5 billion (US$19.5 billion) in 2021 from that of 2020. Our operating profit
increased by 127% from RMB6.3 billion in 2019 to RMB14.3 billion in 2020, and decreased by 27% to RMB10.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2021. Net
income attributable to Baidu, Inc. increased by 992% from RMB2.1 billion in 2019 to RMB22.5 billion in 2020, and decreased by 54% to
RMB10.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) in 2021. Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. in 2019 included a non-cash impairment loss of RMB8.9 billion from
investment in Trip.com, and net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. in 2020 included a fair value gain of RMB11.6 billion from long-term investments.
Revenues
Baidu Core. Baidu Core revenues primarily comprise of (i) auction-based P4P online marketing services that include search and feed online
marketing services; (ii) other online marketing services, including display
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advertisement, based on performance criteria other than CPC; (iii) cloud services; (iv) smart devices and services; (v) non-marketing consumer-facing
services such as membership; and (vi) intelligent driving. We expect Baidu Core to continue to generate a majority of our revenues.
A majority of Baidu Core revenues are derived from P4P services. Our P4P platform is an online marketplace that introduces internet search users
to customers, who pay us a fee based on click-throughs for priority placement of their links in the search results. We also provide feed online marketing
services to our customers. Our feed platform helps customers target relevant feed users, and customers pay us based on a CPC basis or advertisement
displays of their products. In addition, we provide our customers with other performance-based and display-based online marketing services.
Apart from the online marketing services, Baidu Core also generates revenue by providing products and services ranging from cloud services,
smart devices and services, non-marketing consumer-facing services and intelligent driving.
iQIYI. iQIYI is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China. iQIYI’s platform features iQIYI original content, as well as a
comprehensive library of other professionally produced content, professional user generated content, and user-generated content. iQIYI derives a
majority of its revenues from membership services and online marketing services.
iQIYI offers membership packages to provide its members with (i) access to streaming of a library of premium content, (ii) certain commercial
skipping and other viewing privileges, (iii) merchandise selection and privilege, and (iv) higher community status in iQIYI Paopao social platform. Most
of iQIYI’s online marketing services are in the form of brand advertising.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Our operating costs and expenses consist of cost of revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses, and research and development
expenses. Share-based compensation expenses are allocated among these three categories, based on the nature of the work of the employees who have
received share-based compensation.
Cost of Revenues
Our cost of revenues primarily consist of content costs, traffic acquisition costs, depreciation costs, costs of goods sold, bandwidth costs and other
cost of revenues.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Our selling, general and administrative expenses primarily consist of promotional and marketing expenses, salaries and benefits for our sales,
marketing, general and administrative personnel, and legal, accounting and other professional services fees.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses primarily consist of salaries and benefits for research and development personnel. We expense research and
development costs as they are incurred, except for capitalized software development costs that fulfill the capitalization criteria.
Taxation
Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands
Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands, we are not subject to tax on income or capital gains. Additionally, upon
payments of dividends by us, no Cayman Islands withholding tax will be imposed.
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Hong Kong
Subsidiaries in Hong Kong are subject to Hong Kong profits tax rate of 16.5% and foreign-derived income is exempted from income tax. There is
no withholding tax in Hong Kong on remittance of dividends.
Japan
As a result of the Japanese tax regulations amendments, the effective income tax rates were approximately 31%, 31% and 31% for the years ended
December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
PRC Enterprise Income Tax
Effective from January 1, 2008 and amended on December 29, 2018, the PRC’s statutory enterprise income tax, or EIT, rate is 25%. An enterprise
may benefit from a preferential tax rate of 15% under the EIT Law if it qualifies as a “High and New Technology Enterprise” strongly supported by the
state. Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on the Recognition of High and New Technology Enterprises, or the Recognition Measures, as amended
in January 2016, the provincial counterparts of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of
Taxation make joint determination on whether an enterprise is qualified as a “High and New Technology Enterprise” under the EIT Law. In making such
determination, these government agencies consider, among other factors, ownership of core technology, whether the key technology supporting the core
products or services falls within the scope of high and new technology strongly supported by the state as specified in the Recognition Measures, the
ratios of research and development personnel to total personnel, the ratio of research and development expenditures to annual sales revenues, the ratio of
revenues attributed to high and new technology products or services to total revenues, and other measures set forth in relevant guidance. A “High and
New Technology Enterprise” certificate is effective for a period of three years.
If our PRC subsidiaries or consolidated affiliated entities that have enjoyed preferential tax treatment no longer qualify for the preferential
treatment, we will consider available options under applicable law that would enable us to qualify for alternative preferential tax treatment. To the extent
we are unable to offset the impact of the expiration of existing preferential tax treatment with new tax exemptions, tax incentives or other tax benefits,
the expiration of existing preferential tax treatment may cause our effective tax rate to increase. The amount of income tax payable by our PRC
subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities in the future will depend on various factors, including, among other things, the results of operations and
taxable income of, and the statutory tax rate applicable to, each of the entities. Our effective tax rate depends partially on the extent of the relative
contribution of each of our subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities to our consolidated taxable income.
Withholding Tax
Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, dividends, interests, rent or royalties payable by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC
subsidiaries, to any of its non-resident enterprise investors, and proceeds from any such non-resident enterprise investor’s disposition of assets (after
deducting the net value of such assets) are subject to the EIT at the rate of 10%, namely withholding tax, unless the non-resident enterprise investor’s
jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty or arrangement with China that provides for a reduced withholding tax rate or an exemption from
withholding tax. The Notice on Several Preferential Policies regarding Enterprise Income Tax Law jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Finance and
State Administration of Taxation in February 2008, clarifies that undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1, 2008
will be exempted from any withholding tax.
The British Virgin Islands, where Baidu Holdings Limited, the sole shareholder of certain of our PRC subsidiaries such as Baidu Online, was
incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China.
Hong Kong, where Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, our wholly owned subsidiary and the sole shareholder of certain of our PRC subsidiaries such as
Baidu Times and Baidu China, was incorporated, has a tax arrangement
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with China that provides for a lower withholding tax rate of 5% on dividends subject to certain conditions and requirements, such as the requirement
that the Hong Kong resident enterprise own at least 25% of the PRC enterprise distributing the dividend at all times within the 12-month period
immediately preceding the distribution of dividends and be a “beneficial owner” of the dividends. However, pursuant to Circular on Issues Concerning
Implementing Dividend Clauses of Tax Treaties, or SAT Circular 81, issued by the State Administration of Taxation in February 2009, if the relevant
PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretion, that a company benefits from the reduced withholding tax rate on dividends due to a structure or
arrangement designed for the primary purpose of obtaining favorable tax treatment, the PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment.
Moreover, pursuant to Circular on Several Issues regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, or SAT Circular 9, issued by the State
Administration of Taxation in February 2018, which became effective from April 1, 2018 and superseded the SAT Circular 601 issued by the State
Administration of Taxation in October 2009, a resident of a contracting state will not qualify for the benefits under the tax treaties or arrangements, if it
is not the “beneficial owner” of the dividend, interest and royalty income. According to SAT Circular 9, a “beneficial owner” is required to have
ownership and the right to dispose of the income or the rights and properties giving rise to the income, and generally engage in substantive business
activities. An agent or conduit company will not be regarded as a “beneficial owner” and, therefore, will not qualify for treaty benefits. A conduit
company normally refers to a company that is set up primarily for the purpose of evading or reducing taxes or transferring or accumulating profits. In
addition, pursuant to Bulletin on Administrative Measures on Treaties Benefit for Non-resident Taxpayers, or SAT Circular 35, issued by the State
Administration of Taxation in October 2019, non-resident enterprises are not required to obtain pre-approval from the relevant tax authority in order to
enjoy the reduced withholding tax rate. Instead, non-resident enterprises may, if they determine by self-assessment that the prescribed criteria to enjoy
the tax treaty benefits are met, directly apply for the reduced withholding tax rate, and file necessary forms and supporting documents when performing
tax filings, which will be subject to post-filing examinations by the relevant tax authorities.
In 2020, certain of our PRC subsidiaries have declared and distributed profits earned to Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, the dividend payments are
subject to withholding tax. We have made tax provisions based on the corresponding tax rate. If our PRC subsidiaries further declare and distribute
profits earned after January 1, 2008 to us in the future, the dividend payments will be subject to withholding tax, which will increase our tax liability and
reduce the amount of cash available to our company. For the potential distributable profits to be distributed to our qualified Hong Kong incorporated
subsidiary, the deferred tax liabilities are accrued at a 5% withholding tax rate. For more information on related risks, please see “Item 3.D. Key
Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—If our PRC subsidiaries declare and distribute dividends to their respective
offshore parent companies, we will be required to pay more taxes, which could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations.”
Tax Residence
Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of the PRC with “de facto management body” within the PRC
is considered a resident enterprise and will be subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on its worldwide income. The term “de facto management body”
refers to “the establishment that exercises substantial and overall management and control over the production, business, personnel, accounts and
properties of an enterprise.” Pursuant to SAT Circular 82, issued by the State Administration of Taxation in April 2009, an overseas registered enterprise
controlled by a PRC company or a PRC company group will be classified as a “resident enterprise” with its “de facto management body” located within
the PRC if the following requirements are satisfied: (i) the senior management and core management departments in charge of its daily operations are
mainly located in the PRC; (ii) its financial and human resources decisions are subject to determination or approval by persons or bodies located in the
PRC; (iii) its major assets, accounting books, company seals, and minutes and files of its board and shareholders’ meetings are located or kept in the
PRC; and (iv) no less than half of the enterprise’s directors or senior management with voting rights reside in the PRC. The State Administration of
Taxation issued additional rules to provide more guidance on the implementation of SAT Circular 82 in July 2011, and issued an amendment to SAT
Circular 82 delegating the authority to its provincial
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branches to determine whether a Chinese-controlled overseas-incorporated enterprise should be considered a PRC resident enterprise, in January 2014.
Although the SAT Circular 82, the additional guidance and its amendment only apply to overseas registered enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises
and not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the determining criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the State Administration of
Taxation’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises,
regardless of whether they are controlled by PRC enterprises, individuals or foreigners.
If our offshore entities are deemed PRC resident enterprises, these entities may be subject to the EIT at the rate of 25% on their global incomes,
except that the dividends distributed by our PRC subsidiaries may be exempt from the EIT to the extent such dividends are deemed “dividends among
qualified resident enterprises.” For more information on related risks, please see “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing
Business in China—We may be deemed a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, which could subject us to PRC taxation on our global income,
and which may have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations.”
Should our offshore entities be deemed as PRC resident enterprises, such changes could significantly increase our tax burden and materially and
adversely affect our cash flow and profitability.
PRC VAT in Lieu of Business Tax
In November 2011, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation jointly issued two circulars setting forth the details of the
pilot VAT reform program, which change the charge of sales tax from business tax to VAT for certain pilot industries. The VAT reform program initially
applied only to the pilot industries in Shanghai, and was expanded to eight additional regions, including, among others, Beijing and Guangdong
province, in 2012. In August 2013, the program was further expanded nationwide. In May 2016, the pilot program was extended to cover additional
industry sectors such as construction, real estate, finance and consumer services.
PRC Urban Maintenance and Construction Tax and Education Surcharge
Any entity, foreign-invested or purely domestic, or individual that is subject to consumption tax, VAT is also required to pay PRC urban
maintenance and construction tax. The rates of urban maintenance and construction tax are 7%, 5% or 1% of the amount of consumption tax and VAT
actually paid depending on where the taxpayer is located. All entities and individuals who pay consumption tax and VAT are also required to pay
education surcharge at a rate of 3%, and local education surcharges at a rate of 2%, of the amount of VAT and consumption tax actually paid.
Impact of COVID-19 On Our Operations
The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and, together with any subsequent outbreaks driven by new variants of COVID-19, may continue to have, a
significant impact on our operations and financial results. The potential downturn brought by and the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic may be
difficult to assess or predict where actual effects will depend on many factors beyond our control. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts
our long-term results remains uncertain, and we are closely monitoring its impact on us. In 2020, our operations were significantly affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Our online marketing revenues declined compared to the prior period mainly due to weakness in online marketing demand as our
customers in certain industries are negatively impacted by COVID-19. Our online marketing services been gradually recovering in 2021, underpinned
by improved advertiser sentiment, following the effective control of the domestic outbreaks, the resumption of business activities and the gradual
recovery of the general economy in China. However, there still have been outbreaks of COVID-19 cases from time to time, including the COVID-19
Delta and Omicron variant cases, in multiple cities in China. In addition, increased market volatility has contributed to larger
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fluctuations in the valuation of our equity investments. There are still significant uncertainties of COVID-19’s future impact, and the extent of the
impact will depend on a number of factors, including the duration and severity of COVID-19, possibility of new waves in China, the development and
progress of distribution of COVID-19 vaccine and other medical treatment, the potential change in user behavior, especially on internet usage due to the
prolonged impact of COVID-19, the actions taken by government authorities, particularly to contain the outbreak, stimulate the economy to improve
business condition especially for SMEs, almost all of which are beyond our control. As a result, certain of our estimates and assumptions, including the
allowance for credit losses, the valuation of certain debt and equity investments, long-term investments, content assets and long-lived assets subject to
impairment assessments, require significant judgments and carry a higher degree of variabilities and volatilities that could result in material changes to
our current estimates in future periods. See also “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We face
risks related to health epidemics, severe weather conditions and other outbreaks.”
Results of Operations
The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated. The period-to-period comparisons of
results of operations should not be relied upon as indicative of future performance.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Data
Revenues:
Online marketing services
Others
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses(1):
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit
Total other (loss) income, net
(Loss) income before income taxes
Income taxes
Net (loss) income
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interests
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Year ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
US$
(in millions)
78,093 72,840 80,695 12,663
29,320 34,234 43,798 6,873
107,413 107,074 124,493 19,536
62,850 55,158 64,314 10,092
19,910 18,063 24,723 3,879
18,346 19,513 24,938 3,914
101,106 92,734 113,975 17,885
6,307 14,340 10,518 1,651
40
(6,647)
(340) 23,090 10,778 1,691
3,187
1,948
500
4,064
7,591 1,191
(2,288) 19,026
(414)
(2,635)
(3,446)
(4,345)
2,057 22,472 10,226 1,605
8,750
260
(1) Share-based compensation expenses are allocated in operating costs and expenses as follows:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total
145
327
1,768
3,531
5,626
360
1,897
4,471
6,728
399
1,840
4,817
7,056
62
289
756
1,107
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Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Consolidated revenues. Our total revenues in 2021 were RMB124.5 billion (US$19.5 billion), increasing by 16% from 2020.
Our online marketing revenues for Baidu Core in 2021 were RMB73.9 billion (US$11.6 billion), increasing by 12% from 2020.
Our online marketing revenues for iQIYI in 2021 were RMB7.1 billion (US$1.1 billion), increasing by 4% from 2020.
Other revenues in 2021 were RMB43.8 billion (US$6.9 billion), increasing by 28% from 2020.
For a detailed description, see “—Segment Revenues.”
Consolidated operating costs and expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses increased by RMB21.3 billion, or 23%, from RMB92.7 billion
in 2020 to RMB114.0 billion (US$17.9 billion) in 2021.
Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues increased by RMB9.1 billion from RMB55.2 billion in 2020 to RMB64.3 billion (US$10.1 billion) in
2021, primarily due to the following factors:
•
•
•
An increase of RMB3.1 billion in traffic acquisition costs, which reflected increasing union revenues and intensified traffic market
competition.
An increase of RMB2.3 billion in cost of goods sold, which was in line with the growth in sales of Xiaodu smart devices and AI solutions
services.
An increase of RMB995 million in bandwidth costs, resulted from increased investment in infrastructure.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Our selling, general and administrative expenses increased by RMB6.6 billion from
RMB18.1 billion in 2020 to RMB24.7 billion (US$3.9 billion) in 2021, primarily due to an increase in channel spending, promotional marketing and
personnel-related expenses and contingent loss pertaining to legal proceeding involving former advertising agencies.
Research and Development Expenses. Our research and development expenses increased by RMB5.4 billion from RMB19.5 billion in 2020 to
RMB24.9 billion (US$3.9 billion) in 2021, primarily due to an increase in personnel-related expenses.
Operating profit. As a result of the foregoing, we generated an operating profit of RMB10.5 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2021, a 27% decrease
from RMB14.3 billion in 2020.
Total other income, net. Our total other income, net was RMB260 million (US$40 million) in 2021, which included a fair value gain of RMB
3.1 billion (US$493 million) and an impairment loss of RMB 4.3 billion (US$677 million) from long-term investments. Our total other income, net was
RMB8.8 billion in 2020, which included fair value gain of RMB11.6 billion from long-term investments and an impairment loss of RMB 2.6 billion
from long-term investments.
Income taxes. Our income tax expense was RMB3.2 billion (US$500 million) in 2021, compared to RMB4.1 billion in 2020, primarily due to a
decrease in profit before tax and an increase in deduction on certain expenses that were previously considered non-deductible.
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. decreased from RMB22.5 billion in
2020 to RMB10.2 billion (US$1.6 billion) in 2021.
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Year Ended December 31, 2020 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2019
Consolidated revenues. Our total revenues in 2020 were RMB107.1 billion, which was basically flat from 2019.
Our online marketing revenues for Baidu Core in 2020 were RMB66.3 billion, decreasing by 5% from 2019.
Our online marketing revenues for iQIYI in 2020 were RMB6.8 billion, decreasing by 18% from 2019.
Other revenues in 2020 were RMB34.2 billion, increasing by 17% from 2019.
For a detailed description, see “—Segment Revenues.”
Consolidated operating costs and expenses. Our total operating costs and expenses decreased by RMB8.4 billion, or 8%, from RMB101.1 billion
in 2019 to RMB92.7 billion in 2020.
Cost of Revenues. Our cost of revenues decreased by RMB7.7 billion from RMB62.9 billion in 2019 to RMB55.2 billion in 2020, primarily due to
the following factors:
•
•
•
A decrease of RMB2.7 billion in traffic acquisition costs, which reflected decreasing union revenues, as we focused on growing in-app
search and optimizing profitability over union revenue growth.
A decrease of RMB1.7 billion in sales tax and surcharges, which resulted from an exemption of cultural business construction fee for 2020.
A decrease of RMB1.6 billion in content cost, which related to less recorded expense of produced content, more shorter-length content
with less total costs to satisfy diversified users demand, as well as revisions to accounting estimates of future viewership consumption
patterns and useful lives of content assets.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses. Our selling, general and administrative expenses decreased by RMB1.8 billion from
RMB19.9 billion in 2019 to RMB18.1 billion in 2020, primarily due to a decrease of RMB2.1 billion in channel spending and promotional marketing
which reflected our effort to optimize marketing spending during COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the first half of 2020.
Research and Development Expenses. Our research and development expenses increased by RMB1.2 billion from RMB18.3 billion in 2019 to
RMB19.5 billion in 2020, primarily due to an increase of RMB1.5 billion in personnel-related expenses, which was in line with the growth in research
and development headcount as we continue to strengthen our research and development effort.
Operating profit. As a result of the foregoing, we generated an operating profit of RMB14.3 billion in 2020, a 127% increase from
RMB6.3 billion in 2019.
Total other income (loss), net. Our total other income, net was RMB8.8 billion in 2020, which included fair value gain of RMB11.6 billion from
long-term investments. Total other loss, net was RMB6.6 billion for 2019, which included a non-cash impairment loss of RMB8.9 billion from
investment in Trip.com.
Income taxes. Our income tax expense was RMB4.1 billion in 2020, compared to RMB1.9 billion in 2019.
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. As a result of the foregoing, net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. increased from RMB2.1 billion in 2019
to RMB22.5 billion in 2020.
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Segment Revenues
The following table sets forth our revenues by segment and the year-over-year change rate for the periods indicated, with each segment revenues
including inter-segment revenues:
Baidu Core
Online marketing services
Cloud services
Others
Subtotal
iQIYI
Online advertising services
Membership services
Content distribution
Others
Subtotal
Intersegment eliminations
Total revenue
Baidu Core.
2021 compared to 2020.
2019
RMB
Year ended December 31,
2020
2021
RMB
YoY%
RMB
US$
YoY%
(In millions, except percentages)
70,038
6,370
3,303
79,711
66,283
9,173
3,228
78,684
(5)
44
(2)
(1)
73,919
15,070
6,174
95,163
11,600
2,365
968
14,933
8,271
14,436
2,544
3,743
28,994
(1,292)
107,413
6,822
16,491
2,660
3,734
29,707
(1,317)
107,074
(18)
14
5
(0)
2
2
(0)
7,067
16,714
2,856
3,917
30,554
(1,224)
124,493
1,109
2,623
448
615
4,795
(192)
19,536
12
64
91
21
4
1
7
5
3
(7)
16
Baidu Core revenue was RMB95.2 billion (US$14.9 billion) in 2021, increasing by RMB16.5 billion, or 21%, from RMB78.7 billion in 2020.
Our online marketing revenues of Baidu Core in 2021 were RMB73.9 billion (US$11.6 billion), increasing by RMB7.6 billion, or 12%, compared
to RMB66.3 billion in 2020, primarily due to an increase of service demand from our customers in industries, including healthcare, entertainment and
media, business services and local services. The increased demand in 2021 benefited from effective control of COVID-19 outbreaks and work
resumption in China in 2021.
The number of our active online marketing customers increased from approximately 505,000 in 2020 to approximately 535,000 in 2021, and the
average revenue per customer increased slightly from approximately RMB131,300 in 2020 to approximately RMB138,000 (US$21,700) in 2021. The
increase was primarily due to effective control of COVID-19 outbreaks in China.
Revenue from Baidu cloud services and others are included in “Other revenue” in the statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
Our cloud services revenue of Baidu Core in 2021 were RMB15.1 billion (US$2.4 billion), increasing by RMB5.9 billion, or 64%, compared to
RMB9.2 billion in 2020, mainly due to increased adoption of our IaaS and Non-IaaS services. Our IaaS service benefited from the growing trend of
increased adoption of multi-cloud strategies. Our non-IaaS service benefited from our strong AI capabilities and the ongoing digitalization in China’s
traditional industries.
Baidu Core’s other revenues in 2021 were RMB6.2 billion (US$968 million), increasing by RMB3.0 billion, or 91%, compared to RMB3.2 billion
in 2020.
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2020 compared to 2019.
Baidu Core revenue was RMB78.7 billion in 2020, decreasing by RMB1.0 billion, or 1%, from RMB79.7 billion in 2019.
Our online marketing revenues for Baidu Core in 2020 were RMB66.3 billion, decreasing by RMB3.7 billion, or 5%, compared to
RMB70.0 billion in 2019, mainly due to weakness in online marketing services demand, as our customers in industries that were negatively impacted by
the COVID-19 outbreak and other factors, including healthcare, franchising, travel, financial services and education, reduced their budgets on online
marketing.
The number of our active online marketing customers decreased from approximately 528,000 in 2019 to approximately 505,000 in 2020, while the
average revenue per customer decreased slightly from approximately RMB132,700 in 2019 to approximately RMB131,300 in 2020. The decrease of our
active online marketing customers was primarily due to quarantines, travel restrictions, and the temporary closure of businesses and facilities and
resulting impact to general economy brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Revenue from Baidu cloud services and others are included in “Other revenue” in the statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
Baidu Core’s cloud services revenue in 2020 were RMB9.2 billion, increasing by RMB2.8 billion, or 44%, compared to RMB6.4 billion in 2019,
due to the rapid adoption of our cloud service and products.
Baidu Core’s other revenues were RMB3.2 billion in 2020, decreasing by RMB75 million, or 2%, compared to RMB3.3 billion in 2019.
iQIYI.
2021 compared to 2020.
iQIYI revenue was RMB30.6 billion (US$4.8 billion) in 2021, increasing by RMB847 million, or 3%, from RMB29.7 billion in 2020.
iQIYI online advertising services revenue are included in “Online marketing revenue” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss)
income.
iQIYI’s online advertising revenues in 2021 were RMB7.1 billion (US$1.1 billion), increasing by RMB245 million, or 4%, from RMB6.8 billion
in 2020, as a result of a rebound of advertisers’ budgets as well as an increase of the number of our brand advertisers. Average brand advertising revenue
per brand advertiser decreased by 25.8% from RMB6.6 million in 2020 to RMB4.9 million (US$0.8 million) in 2021.
Revenue from iQIYI membership services, content distribution, and others are included in “Other revenue” in the statements of comprehensive
(loss) income.
Membership revenue of iQIYI in 2021 were RMB16.7 billion (US$2.6 billion), increasing by RMB223 million, or 1%, from RMB16.5 billion in
2020. The average daily number of subscribing members in 2021 was 101.6 million, as compared to 110.3 million in 2020. The average daily number of
subscribing members excluding individuals with trial memberships was 100.7 million in 2021, as compared to 109.4 million in 2020. In addition,
average revenue per membership during a month, or monthly ARM, in 2021 increased by 10.0% to RMB13.71, as compared to RMB12.46 in 2020.
iQIYI tracks the number of average daily subscribing members and monthly ARM as key indicators for membership revenue growth, and has been
cultivating users’ willingness to pay. iQIYI is dedicated to providing more premium content through diversified approaches, as it did in the past by
launching theme-based drama theaters and the PVOD mode, to expand its subscribing member base, nurture members’ willingness to pay and diversify
its routes to membership monetization to increase monthly ARM.
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iQIYI content distribution revenue increased by RMB196 million, or 7%, from RMB2.7 billion in 2020 to RMB2.9 billion (US$448 million) in
2021, primarily attributable to increased content titles distributed to other platforms during 2021.
iQIYI other revenue for iQIYI in 2021 were RMB3.9 billion (US$615 million), increasing by RMB183 million, or 5%, from RMB3.7 billion in
2020, as a result of iQIYI’s strong performance across various vertical business lines, such as live streaming, talent agency and box office performance
of iQIYI’s original movies, especially Break Through the Darkness, which was screened in theaters in May 2021.
2020 compared to 2019.
iQIYI revenue was RMB29.7 billion in 2020, increasing by RMB713 million, or 2%, from RMB29.0 billion in 2019.
iQIYI’s online advertising revenues in 2020 were RMB6.8 billion, decreasing by RMB1.5 billion, or 18%, from RMB8.3 billion in 2019, as a
result of the challenging macroeconomic environment in China, and the tightened advertising budget of advertisers and intensified competition in
advertising business, as well as the tightened regulatory environment and the uncertainty of certain content scheduling in the early stage of COVID-19
pandemic in the first quarter of 2020. However, iQIYI’s online advertising services revenue has been rebounding since the second quarter of 2020 as
iQIYI’s advertisers gradually recovered their advertising budgets. Average brand advertising revenue per brand advertiser increased by 11% from
RMB5.9 million in 2019 to RMB6.6 million in 2020.
Membership revenue of iQIYI in 2020 were RMB16.5 billion, increasing by RMB2.1 billion, or 14%, compared to RMB14.4 billion in 2019,
primarily driven by (i) an increase in the average revenue per user due to the increase in the members’ willingness to pay for the premium content that
iQIYI have been offering, and (ii) the relatively stable number of subscribing members of 101.7 million in 2020 as compared with 106.9 million in
2019.
iQIYI content distribution revenue increased by 5% from RMB2.5 billion in 2019 to RMB2.7 billion in 2020, primarily caused by the increase of
high-quality content which fulfilled distribution to several platforms.
iQIYI other revenue for iQIYI was RMB3.7 billion, which remained stable as compared to RMB3.7 billion in 2019.
Segment Operating Costs and Expenses
The following table sets forth our operating costs and expenses by segment and the year-over-year change rate for the periods indicated, with each
segment operating costs and expenses including inter-segment costs and expenses:
Operating Costs and Expenses:
Baidu Core
iQIYI
2019
RMB
Year ended December 31,
2020
RMB YoY%
RMB
(In millions, except percentages)
2021
US$
YoY%
64,450
38,252
58,146
35,748
(10)
(7)
80,021
35,033
12,557
5,498
38
(2)
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Baidu Core. Operating costs and expenses of Baidu Core mainly consist of personnel-related costs, traffic acquisition costs, marketing and
promotion spending, depreciation expenses, costs of goods sold, content costs, bandwidth cost and other costs related to new AI business.
Cost of revenues. The cost of revenues of Baidu Core increased by 33% from RMB28.4 billion in 2020 to RMB37.8 billion (US$5.9 billion) in
2021, primarily due to an increase in content costs, traffic acquisition costs, bandwidth costs, cost of goods sold and other costs related to new AI
business.
The cost of revenues of Baidu Core decreased by 17% from RMB34.0 billion in 2019 to RMB28.4 billion in 2020, primarily due to a decrease in
traffic acquisition costs, sales tax and surcharges and costs of goods sold.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. The selling, general and administrative expenses of Baidu Core increased by 55% from
RMB12.9 billion in 2020 to RMB20.0 billion (US$3.1 billion) in 2021, primarily due to an increase in channel spending, promotional marketing and
personnel-related expenses and contingent loss pertaining to legal proceedings involving former advertising agencies.
The selling, general and administrative expenses of Baidu Core decreased by 12% from RMB14.7 billion in 2019 to RMB12.9 billion in 2020,
primarily due to a decrease in channel spending, promotional marketing and personnel-related expenses.
Research and development expenses. The research and development expenses of Baidu Core increased by 31% from RMB16.8 billion in 2020 to
RMB22.1 billion (US$3.5 billion) in 2021, primarily due to an increase in personnel-related expenses.
The research and development expenses of Baidu Core increased by 7% from RMB15.7 billion in 2019 to RMB16.8 billion in 2020, primarily due
to an increase in personnel-related expenses.
iQIYI. Operating costs and expenses of iQIYI mainly consist of content costs, personnel-related costs, bandwidth costs, marketing and promotion
spending, and payment platform charges.
Cost of revenues. The cost of revenues of iQIYI decreased by 1% from RMB27.9 billion in 2020 to RMB27.5 billion (US$4.3 billion) in 2021,
primarily due to the decrease in bandwidth costs.
The cost of revenues of iQIYI decreased by 8% from RMB30.3 billion in 2019 to RMB27.9 billion in 2020, primarily due to lower content costs
and bandwidth cost.
Selling, general and administrative expenses. The selling, general and administrative expenses of iQIYI decreased by 9% from RMB5.2 billion in
2020 to RMB4.7 billion (US$742 million) in 2021, primarily due to decrease in personal compensation expenses and reversal of credit losses.
The selling, general and administrative expenses of iQIYI were RMB5.2 billion in 2020, which was basically flat from 2019.
Research and development expenses. The research and development expenses of iQIYI increased by 4% from RMB2.7 billion in 2020 to
RMB2.8 billion (US$439 million) in 2021, primarily due to non-recurring personnel-related expenses associated with the optimization of organizational
structure in 2021.
The research and development expenses of iQIYI were RMB2.7 billion in 2020, which was basically flat from 2019.
Inflation
Inflation in China has not materially impacted our results of operations. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the annual
average percent changes in the consumer price index in China for 2019, 2020
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and 2021 were 2.9%, 2.5% and 0.9%, respectively. The year-over-year percent change in the consumer price index for January 2020, 2021 and 2022 was
an increase of 5.4%, a decrease of 0.3% and an increase of 0.9%, respectively. Although we have not been materially affected by inflation in the past, we
can provide no assurance that we will not be affected in the future by higher rates of inflation in China. For example, certain operating costs and
expenses, such as employee compensation and office operating expenses, may increase as a result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial
portion of our assets consists of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, high inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing
power of these assets. We are not able to hedge our exposure to higher inflation in China.
Foreign Currency
The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the RMB has declined from RMB8.1056 per USD in July 2005 to RMB6.3726 per USD in
December 2021. As of December 31, 2021, we recorded RMB1.0 billion (US$157 million) of net foreign currency translation loss in accumulated other
comprehensive income as a component of shareholders’ equity. We have not hedged exposures to exchange fluctuations using any hedging instruments.
See also “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China— Fluctuation in exchange rates could have a material
and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.” and “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market
Risk—Foreign Exchange Risk.”
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
We prepare financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of our assets and liabilities and the disclosure of our contingent assets and liabilities at the end of each fiscal period and the reported
amounts of revenues and expenses during each fiscal period. We continually evaluate these judgments and estimates based on our own historical
experience, knowledge and assessment of current business and other conditions, our expectations regarding the future based on available information
and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, which together form our basis for making judgments about matters that are not readily apparent from
other sources. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, our actual results could differ from those estimates.
Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application.
The selection of critical accounting policies, the judgments and other uncertainties affecting application of those policies and the sensitivity of
reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions are factors that should be considered when reviewing our financial statements. For further
information on our critical accounting policies, see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. We believe the following accounting policies
involve the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our financial statements.
Fair Value Measurements of Non-Marketable Equity Securities
We measure certain financial instruments at fair value on a nonrecurring basis, consisting primarily of our non-marketable equity securities. These
investments are accounted for under the measurement alternative and are measured at cost, less impairment, subject to upward and downward
adjustments resulting from observable price changes for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. These adjustments require quantitative
assessments of the fair value of equity investments, primarily using a market approach, which requires the use of unobservable inputs, such as selection
of comparable companies and multiples, expected volatility, discount for lack of marketability and probability of exit events as it relates to liquidation
and redemption preferences when applicable. Non-marketable equity securities are also evaluated for impairment, based on qualitative factors including
the companies’ financial and liquidity position and access to capital resources, among others. When indicators of impairment exist, we also prepare
quantitative measurements of the fair value of our equity investments using market approach with unobservable inputs. Our estimates of these inputs
require subjective
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management judgment and are inherently uncertain. The fair value information is sensitive to changes in the unobservable inputs used to determine fair
value and such changes could result in the fair value at the reporting date to be different from the fair value presented. When our assessment indicates
that an impairment exists, we write down the investment to its fair value.
Impairment of content assets
We review our film groups and individual content for impairment when there are events or changes in circumstances that indicate the fair value of
a film group or an individual content may be less than its unamortized costs. When such events or changes in circumstances are identified, we perform a
quantitative assessment to determine whether the fair value of a film group or an individual content is less than its unamortized film costs.
For the Mainland China film group, we use a discounted cash flow approach to estimate the fair value, which requires the use of inputs such as the
forecasted future revenues, costs and operating expenses attributable to the film group and the discount rate. Our estimates of these inputs require
subjective management judgment and are inherently uncertain. The fair value information is sensitive to changes in the unobservable inputs used to
determine fair value and such changes could result in the fair value at the reporting date to be different from the fair value presented. The quantitative
impairment assessment we performed with the assistance of a third-party valuation firm as of December 31, 2021 indicated that the fair value of our
PRC film group is in excess of their carrying value and, therefore, did not result in an impairment.
For the fair value of the produced content predominantly monetized on its own, we use a discounted cash flow approach to estimate the fair value,
which requires the use of inputs include forecasted future revenues, production costs required to complete the content and exploitation and participation
costs. Based on the above assessment, certain produced content predominantly monetized on its own are determined to be impaired and re-measured to
the fair value as of each quarter end.
Amortization of content assets
Based on factors including historical and estimated future viewership consumption patterns, our content assets (licensed copyrights and produced
content) are amortized using an accelerated method by content categories over the shorter of each content’s contractual period or estimated useful lives
within ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. We review factors that impact the amortization of the content assets on a regular basis,
such as the estimates of future viewership consumption patterns and estimated useful lives. Our estimates related to these factors require complex and
subjective management judgment and any changes in our estimates of future viewership consumption patterns and estimated useful lives may cause us
to realize different amounts of amortization in future periods.
Consolidation of Affiliated Entities
In order to comply with PRC laws and regulations limiting foreign ownership of or imposing conditions on internet content, advertising, audio and
video services, and mobile app distribution businesses, we operate our websites and conduct our internet content, advertising, audio and video services,
and mobile app distribution businesses through our affiliated entities in China by means of contractual arrangements. We have entered into certain
exclusive agreements with the affiliated entities directly or through our subsidiaries, which obligate us to absorb losses of the consolidated affiliated
entities’ that could potentially be significant to the consolidated affiliated entities or entitle the primary beneficiaries to receive economic benefits from
the consolidated affiliated entities that could potentially be significant to the consolidated affiliated entities. In addition, we have entered into certain
agreements with the affiliated entities and the nominee shareholders of affiliated entities directly or through our subsidiaries, which enable us to direct
the activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the affiliated entities. Based on these contractual arrangements, we consolidate
the affiliated
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entities as required by ASC Topic 810, Consolidation, because we hold all the variable interests of the affiliated entities directly or through the
subsidiaries, which are the primary beneficiaries of the affiliated entities. We will reconsider the initial determination of whether a legal entity is a
consolidated affiliated entity upon certain events listed in ASC 810-10-35-4 occurring. We will also continuously reconsider whether we are the primary
beneficiaries of our affiliated entities as facts and circumstances change. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our
Corporate Structure.”
Segment Reporting
As of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, we had two reportable segments, Baidu Core and iQIYI. Baidu Core mainly provides search-based,
feed-based, and other online marketing services, as well as products and services from our new AI initiatives. iQIYI is an online entertainment service
provider that offers original, professionally produced and partner-generated content on its platform. In early April 2018, iQIYI completed its initial
public offering (“IPO”) on the Nasdaq Global Market.
Our chief executive officer, who has been identified as the chief operating decision marker, (“CODM”), reviews the operating results of Baidu
Core and iQIYI, to allocate resources and assess our performance. Accordingly, the financial statements include segment information which reflects the
current composition of the reportable segments in accordance with ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when control of promised goods or services is transferred to our customers in an amount of consideration to which an
entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Revenue is recorded net of valued added taxes (“VAT”).
(1)
Performance-based online marketing services
Cost-per-click (“CPC”)
Our auction-based P4P platform enables customers to bid for priority placement of paid sponsored links and reach users who search for
information related to their products or services. P4P online marketing customers can choose from search-based and feed-based online marketing
services, and select criteria for their inventory purchase, such as daily spending limit and user profile targeted, including, but not limited to, users from
specific regions in China and users online during specific time period. Revenue is recognized when all of the revenue recognition criteria are met, which
is generally when a user clicks on one of the customer-sponsored links or feed-based marketing.
Other performance-based online marketing services
To the extent we provide online marketing services based on performance criteria other than cost-per-click, such as the number of downloads (and
user registration) of mobile apps and the pre-determined ratios of completed transaction volumes, revenue is recognized when the specified performance
criteria are met along with the satisfaction of other applicable revenue recognition criteria.
(2) Online display advertising services
We provide online display advertising services to its customers by integrating text description, image and/or video, and displaying the
advertisement in the search result, in Baidu Feed or on other properties. We recognize revenue on a pro rata basis over the contractual term for cost per
time advertising arrangements, commencing on the start date of the display advertisement, or based on the number of times that the advertisement has
been displayed for cost per thousand impressions advertising arrangements.
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(3) Baidu Union online marketing services
Baidu Union is a program through which we expand distribution of our customers’ sponsored links or advertisements by leveraging the traffic of
Baidu Union partners’ online properties. We acquire traffic from Baidu Union partners and we are responsible for service fulfillment, pricing and
bearing inventory risks. The services which we provide to customers through Baidu Union partners’ online properties include CPC, other performance-
based online marketing services and online display advertising services. These services are provided in the same way to our customers as those through
Baidu’s own platforms or properties. As principal, we recognize revenue from Baidu Union on a gross basis. Payments made to Baidu Union partners
are recorded as traffic acquisition costs, which are included in “Cost of revenues” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
(4) Collection
Certain customers of online marketing services are required to pay a deposit before using our services and are sent automated reminders to
replenish their accounts when the balance falls below a designated amount. The deposits received are recorded as “Customer deposits and deferred
revenue” on the consolidated balance sheets. The amounts due to us are deducted from the deposited amounts when users click on the paid sponsored
links in the search results or other performance criteria have been satisfied. In addition, we offer payment terms to some customers based on their
historical marketing placements and credibility. We also offer longer payment terms to certain online payment agencies, consistent with industry
practice.
Payment terms and conditions vary by customer and are based on the billing schedule established in our contracts or purchase orders with
customers, but we generally provide credit terms to customers within one year; therefore, we have determined that our contracts do not include a
significant financing component.
(5)
Sales incentives
We provide sales incentives to third-party agents that entitle them to receive price reduction on the online marketing services by meeting certain
cumulative consumption requirements. We account for these incentives granted to customers as variable consideration and net them against revenue.
The amount of variable consideration is measured based on the most likely amount of incentives to be provided to customers.
(6) Membership services
We offer membership services to subscribing members with various privileges, which primarily include access to exclusive and ad-free streaming
of premium content 1080P/4K high definition video, Dolby Audio, and accelerated downloads and others, or personal cloud services. When the receipt
of membership fees is for services to be delivered over a period of time, the receipt is initially recorded as “Customer deposits and deferred revenue”
and revenue is recognized ratably over the membership period as services are rendered. Membership services revenue also includes fees earned from
subscribing members for on-demand content purchases and early access to premium content. We are the principal in our relationships where partners,
including consumer electronics manufacturers (TVs and cell phones), mobile operators, internet service providers and online payment agencies, provide
access to the membership services or payment processing services as we retain control over its service delivery to its subscribing members. Typically,
payments made to the partners, are recorded as “Cost of revenues”. For the sale of the right to other membership services through strategic cooperation
with other parties, we recognize revenue on a net basis when we do not control the specified services before they are transferred to the customer.
(7) Content distribution
We generate revenues from sub-licensing content asset for cash or through nonmonetary exchanges mainly with other online video broadcasting
companies. The exclusive licensing agreements we enter into with the
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vendors have a specified license period and provide us rights to sub-license these content assets to other parties. We enter into a non-exclusive
sub-license agreement with a sub-licensee for a period that falls within the original exclusive license period. For cash sub-licensing transactions, we are
entitled to receive the sub-license fee under the sub-licensing arrangements and do not have any future obligation once we have provided the underlying
content to the sub-licensee (which is provided at or before the beginning of the sub-license period). The sub-licensing of content assets represents a
license of functional intellectual property which grants a right to use our content asset, and is recognized at the point in time when the content asset is
made available for the customer’s use and benefit.
We also enter into nonmonetary transactions to exchange online broadcasting rights of content assets with other online video broadcasting
companies from time to time. The exchanged content assets provide rights for each party to broadcast the content assets received on its own website
only. Each transferring party retains the right to continue broadcasting the exclusive content on its own website and/or sublicense the rights to the
content it surrendered in the exchange. We account for these nonmonetary exchanges based on the fair value of the asset received. Barter sublicensing
revenue are recognized in accordance with the same revenue recognition criteria above. We estimate the fair value of the content assets received using a
market approach based on various factors, including the purchase price of similar non-exclusive and/or exclusive contents, broadcasting schedule, cast
and crew, theme, popularity, and box office. The transaction price of barter transaction revenues is calculated on the individual content asset basis. For a
significant barter sublicensing transaction, we further review the fair value by analyzing against the cost of the content assets bartered out and/or
engages a third-party valuation firm to assess the reasonableness of its fair value. The attributable cost of sublicensing transactions, whether for cash or
through nonmonetary exchanges, is recognized as cost of revenues through the amortization of the sublicensing right component of the exclusive
content assets.
(8) Cloud services
We provide public cloud services, which include computing database, storage and other services to enterprise and personal customers and allow
customers to use hosted software over the contract period without taking possession of the software, generally on either a subscription or consumption
basis. Revenue related to public cloud services provided on a subscription basis is recognized ratably over the contract period. Revenue related to public
cloud services provided on a consumption basis, such as the amount of storage used in a period, is recognized based on the customer utilization of such
resources.
We provide software licensing to customers. Software licensing revenues are recognized when earned in accordance with the terms of the
underlying agreement. Generally, revenue is recognized at a point in time when the intellectual property is made available for the customer’s use and
benefit.
We provide cloud solutions for our customers in specific industries, such as smart transportation, finance, manufacturing, energy, telecom and
media. Revenue related to proprietary cloud services and solutions which mainly include hardware, software licensing and installation service, is
recognized over time if one of the following criteria is met: (i) the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits as we perform; (ii) our
performance creates or enhances an asset that the customer controls as the asset is created or enhanced; or (iii) the asset delivered has no alternative use
and we have an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. Otherwise, revenue is recognized at a point in time when a customer
obtains control of a promised asset or service and we satisfy our performance obligation.
We also provide accelerated downloads and others, or personal cloud services mentioned in the “membership services.”
(9)
Sales of hardware
We mainly sell Xiaodu smart device hardware products via third-party agents or directly to end customers. Revenue from the sales of hardware is
recognized when control of the goods is transferred to customers, which
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generally occurs when the products are delivered and accepted by our customers. Revenue is recorded net of sales incentives and return allowance.
(10) Other revenue recognition related policies
For arrangements that include multiple performance obligations, primarily for advertisements to be displayed in different spots, placed under
different forms and displayed at different times and proprietary cloud services, which mainly include hardware, software licensing and installation
service, we would evaluate all of the performance obligations in the arrangement to determine whether each performance obligation is distinct. For
comprehensive smart transportation solutions (“Solutions”) arrangements, we provide a significant integration service and the components are not
distinct within the context of the contract because we provide a significant level of integration over the solutions and accounted for as one performance
obligation. Consideration is allocated to each performance obligation based on its standalone selling price at contract inception. We generally determine
standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to customers on a standalone basis or estimates it using an expected cost plus margin approach. If a
promised good or service does not meet the criteria to be considered distinct, it is combined with other promised goods or services until a distinct bundle
of goods or services exists.
Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. For certain services customers are required to pay before the
services are delivered to the customer. When either party to a revenue contract has performed, we recognize a contract asset or a contract liability on the
consolidated balance sheets, depending on the relationship between the entity’s performance and the customer’s payment. Contract liabilities were
mainly related to fees for membership services to be provided over the membership period, which were presented as “Customer deposits and deferred
revenue” on the consolidated balance sheets. Contract assets mainly represent unbilled amounts related to our rights to consideration for advertising
services and cloud services delivered and were included in “Other current assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets.
We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and
(ii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which it has the right to invoice for services performed.
Share-based Compensation
We account for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation, (“ASC 718”). We have elected
to recognize share-based compensation using the straight-line method for all share-based awards issued with no performance conditions. For awards
with performance conditions, compensation cost is recognized on an accelerated basis if it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.
Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience and are periodically reviewed. Cancellation of an award accompanied by the concurrent
grant of a replacement award is accounted for as a modification of the terms of the cancelled award (“modified awards”). The compensation costs
associated with the modified awards are recognized if either the original vesting condition or the new vesting condition is achieved. Total recognized
compensation cost for the awards is at least equal to the fair value of the awards at the grant date unless at the date of the modification the performance
or service conditions of the original awards are not expected to be satisfied. The incremental compensation cost is measured as the excess of the fair
value of the replacement award over the fair value of the cancelled award at the cancellation date. Therefore, in relation to the modified award, we
recognize share-based compensation over the vesting periods of the replacement award, which comprises (i) the amortization of the incremental portion
of share-based compensation over the remaining vesting term, and (ii) any unrecognized compensation cost of the original award, using either the
original term or the new term, whichever results in higher expenses for each reporting period.
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We adopted ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment
Accounting to simplify the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees (“ASU 2018-07”) on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective
method. Subsequent to the adoption, we measure equity-classified nonemployee awards using their fair value on grant date.
Income Taxes
We recognize income taxes under the liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for differences between the financial reporting and
tax bases of assets and liabilities at enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. We record a valuation
allowance against the amount of deferred tax assets that we determine is not more-likely-than-not to be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of a change
in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date. For reconciliation of tax computed by applying the respective
statutory income tax rate to pre-tax income, please see “Income taxes” under Note 16 to our audited consolidated financial statements.
Deferred income taxes are recognized on the undistributed earnings of subsidiaries, which are presumed to be transferred to the parent company
and are subject to withholding taxes, unless there is sufficient evidence to show that the subsidiary has invested or will invest the undistributed earnings
indefinitely or that the earnings will be remitted in a tax-free liquidation.
We apply the provisions of ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, (“ASC 740”), in accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. ASC 740 clarifies the
accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the
financial statements. We have elected to classify interest and penalties related to an uncertain tax position (if and when required) as part of income tax
expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
Long-term investments
Our long-term investments consist of equity method investments, equity investments with readily determinable fair value, equity investments
without readily determinable fair value, equity investments in private equity funds, other investments accounted for at fair value, held-to-maturity debt
investments and available-for-sale debt investments.
Investments in entities in which we can exercise significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest or control are accounted for
using the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (“ASC 323”). Under the
equity method, we initially record its investment at cost and the difference between the cost of the equity investee and the amount of the underlying
equity in the net assets of the equity investee is accounted for as if the investee were a consolidated subsidiary. We subsequently adjust the carrying
amount of our investment to recognize our proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss into earnings after the date of investment and
its share of each equity investee’s movement in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss is recognize in other comprehensive (loss) income.
When calculating our proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss, we adjust the net income or loss of equity investee to include
accretion of preferred stock that is classified in temporary equity in the investee’s financial statements into earnings. We will discontinue applying the
equity method if an investment (plus additional financial support provided to the investee, if any) has been reduced to zero. When we have other
investments in the equity-method investee and we are not required to advance additional funds to the investee, we would continue to report its share of
equity method losses in our statements of comprehensive (loss)income after our equity-method investment in ordinary shares has been reduced to zero,
to the extent of and as an adjustment to the adjusted basis of our other investments in the investee. Such losses are first applied to those investments of a
lower liquidation preference before being further applied to the investments of a higher liquidation preference. We adopted a one-quarter lag in reporting
for our share of equity income (loss) in majority of our equity method investees.
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We evaluate the equity method investments for impairment at each reporting date, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of the investment might not be recoverable. Factors considered by us when determining whether an investment has
been other-than-temporarily-impaired, includes, but are not limited to, the length of the time and the extent to which the market value has been less than
cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, and our intent and ability to retain the investment until the recovery of its cost. An
impairment loss on the equity method investments is recognized in earnings when the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary and is
allocated to the individual net assets underlying equity method investments in the following order: 1) reduce any equity method goodwill to zero; 2)
reduce the individual basis differences related to the investee’s long-lived assets pro rata based on their amounts relative to the overall basis difference at
the impairment date and 3) reduce the individual basis difference of the investee’s remaining assets in a systematic and rational manner.
For equity investments in private equity funds, over which we do not have the ability to exercise significant influence, are measured using the net
asset value per share based on the practical expedient in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”) (“NAV practical
expedient”).
For equity securities without readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the NAV practical expedient of the investment, we elected to
use the measurement alternative to measure those investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price
changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, if any. Significant judgments are required to determine (i) whether
observable price changes are orderly transactions and identical or similar to an investment held by us, and (ii) the selection of appropriate valuation
methodologies and underlying assumptions, including expected volatility and the probability of exit events as it relates to liquidation and redemption
features used to measure the price adjustments for the difference in rights and obligations between instruments. Equity securities with readily
determinable fair values are measured at fair value, and any changes in fair value are recognized in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
For equity investments measured at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in earnings, we do not assess whether those securities are
impaired. For equity investments that we elect to use the measurement alternative, we make a qualitative assessment considering impairment indicators
to evaluate whether investments are impaired at each reporting date. Impairment indicators considered include, but are not limited to, a significant
deterioration in the earnings performance or business prospects of the investee, including factors that raise significant concerns about the investee’s
ability to continue as a going concern, a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic, or technologic environment of the investee and a
significant adverse change in the general market condition of either the geographical area or the industry in which the investee operates. If a qualitative
assessment indicates that the investment is impaired, we estimate the investment’s fair value in accordance with the principles of ASC 820. If the fair
value is less than the investment’s carrying value, we recognize an impairment loss in earnings equal to the difference between the carrying value and
fair value.
In accordance with ASC Subtopic 946-320, Financial Services—Investment Companies, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities, we account for
long-term equity investments in unlisted companies held by consolidated investment companies at fair value. These investments were initially recorded
at their transaction price net of transaction costs, if any. Fair values of these investments are re-measured at each reporting date in accordance with ASC
820.
Investments that we have positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity investments and stated at amortized cost
less allowance for credit losses.
Available-for-sale debt investments are convertible debt instruments issued by private companies and investments in preferred shares that are
redeemable at our option, which are measured at fair value. Interest income is recognized in earnings. All other changes in the carrying amount of these
debt investments are recognized in other comprehensive (loss) income.
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Licensed Copyrights, net
Licensed copyrights consist of professionally-produced content such as films, television series, variety shows and other video content acquired
from external parties. The license fees are capitalized and, unless prepaid, a corresponding liability is recorded when the cost of the content is known,
the content is accepted by us in accordance with the conditions of the license agreement and the content is available for its first showing on our websites.
Licensed copyrights are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as current and non-current, based on estimated time of usage.
Our licensed copyrights include the right to broadcast and in some instances, the right to sublicense. The broadcasting right, refers to the right to
broadcast the content on its own websites and the sublicensing right, refers to the right to sublicense the underlying content to external parties. When
licensed copyrights include both broadcasting and sublicensing rights, the content costs are allocated to these two rights upon initial recognition, based
on the relative proportion of the estimated total revenues that will be generated by each right over its estimated useful lives.
For the right to broadcast the contents on its own websites that generates online advertising and membership services revenues, based on factors
including historical and estimated future viewership patterns, the content costs are amortized using an accelerated method by content categories over the
shorter of each content’s contractual period or estimated useful lives within ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. Content categories
accounting for most of our content include newly released drama series, newly released movies, animations, library drama series and library movies.
Estimates of future viewership consumption patterns and estimated useful lives are reviewed periodically, at least on an annual basis and revised, if
necessary. Revisions to the amortization patterns are accounted for as a change in accounting estimate prospectively in accordance with ASC Topic 250,
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections (“ASC 250”).
For the right to sublicense the content to external parties that generates direct content distribution revenues, the content costs are amortized based
on its estimated usage pattern and recorded as cost of revenues.
Produced Content, net
We produce original content in-house and collaborate with external parties. Produced content primarily consists of films, episodic series, variety
shows and animations. The costs incurred in the physical production of original content include direct production costs, production overhead and
acquisition costs. Produced content also includes cash expenditures made to acquire a proportionate share of certain rights to films including profit
sharing, distribution and/or other rights. Exploitation costs are expensed as incurred. Participation costs are accrued using the individual-film-forecast-
computation method, which recognizes the costs in the same ratio as the associated ultimate revenue. Production costs for original content that are
predominantly monetized in a film group are capitalized. Production costs for original content predominantly monetized on its own are capitalized to the
extent that they are recoverable from total revenues expected to be earned (“ultimate revenue”); otherwise, they are expensed as cost of revenues.
Ultimate revenue estimates include revenue expected to be earned from all sources, including exhibition, licensing, or exploitation of produced
content if we have demonstrated a history of earning such revenue. We estimate ultimate revenue to be earned during the estimated useful lives of
produced content based on anticipated release patterns and historical results of similar produced content, which are identified based on various factors,
including cast and crew, target audience and popularity. The capitalized production costs are reported separately as noncurrent assets with caption of
“Produced content, net” on the consolidated balance sheets.
Based on factors including historical and estimated future viewership consumption patterns, we amortize film costs for produced content that is
predominantly monetized in a film group. For produced content that is monetized on its own, we consider historical and estimated usage patterns to
determine the pattern of
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amortization for film costs. Based on the estimated patterns, we amortize produced content using an accelerated method over its estimated useful lives
within ten years, beginning with the month of first availability and such costs are included in “Cost of revenues” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
Impairment of licensed copyrights and produced content
Our business model is mainly subscription and advertising based, as such the majority of our content assets (licensed copyrights and produced
content) are predominantly monetized with other content assets, whereas a smaller portion of our content assets are predominantly monetized at a
specific title level such as variety shows and investments in a proportionate share of certain rights to films including profit sharing, distribution and/or
other rights. Because the identifiable cash flows related to content launched on our Mainland China platform are largely independent of the cash flows
of other content launched on our overseas platform, we have identified two separate film groups. We review our film groups and individual content for
impairment when there are events or changes in circumstances that indicate the fair value of a film group or individual content may be less than its
unamortized costs. Examples of such events or changes in circumstances include, a significant adverse change in technological, regulatory, legal,
economic, or social factors, that could affect the fair value of the film group or the public’s perception of a film or the availability of a film for future
showings, a significant decrease in the number of subscribers or forecasted subscribers, or the loss of a major distributor, a change in the predominant
monetization strategy of a film that is currently monetized on its own, actual costs substantially in excess of budgeted costs, substantial delays in
completion or release schedules, or actual performance subsequent to release failing to meet expectations set before release such as a significant
decrease in the amount of ultimate revenue expected to be recognized.
When such events or changes in circumstances are identified, we assess whether the fair value of an individual content (or film group) is less than
its unamortized film costs, determines the fair value of an individual content (or film group) and recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by
which the unamortized capitalized costs exceed the individual content’s (or film group’s) fair value. We mainly use a discounted cash flow approach to
determine the fair value of an individual content or film group, for which the most significant inputs include the forecasted future revenues, costs and
operating expenses attributable to an individual content or the film group and the discount rate. An impairment loss attributable to a film group is
allocated to individual licensed copyrights and produced content within the film group on a pro rata basis using the relative carrying values of those
assets as we cannot estimate the fair value of individual contents in the film group without undue cost and effort.
Business Combinations
We account for our business combinations using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations.
The purchase method of accounting requires that the consideration transferred to be allocated to the assets, including separately identifiable assets and
liabilities we acquired, based on their estimated fair values. The consideration transferred in an acquisition is measured as the aggregate of the fair
values at the date of exchange of the assets given, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued as well as the contingent considerations as of the
acquisition date. The costs directly attributable to the acquisition are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities
acquired or assumed are measured separately at their fair value as of the acquisition date, irrespective of the extent of any noncontrolling interests. The
excess of (i) the total of cost of acquisition, fair value of the noncontrolling interests and acquisition date fair value of any previously held equity
interests in the acquiree over (ii) the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquiree, is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of acquisition is less than
the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized directly in earnings.
In a business combination achieved in stages, we re-measured our previously held equity interest in the acquiree immediately before obtaining
control at its acquisition-date fair value and the re-measurement gain or loss, if any, is recognized in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
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The determination and allocation of fair values to the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests is based on
various assumptions and valuation methodologies requiring considerable judgment from management. The most significant variables in these valuations
are discount rates, the number of years on which to base the cash flow projections, as well as the assumptions and estimates used to determine the cash
inflows and outflows. We determine discount rates to be used based on the risk inherent in the related activity’s current business model and industry
comparisons.
B.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2021, we had RMB190.9 billion (US$30.0 billion) in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments and
our consolidated affiliated entities had RMB6.0 billion (US$938 million) of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments. Our cash
and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and investments in interest bearing demand deposit accounts, time deposits, money market funds and other
liquid investments which have original maturities of three months or less. Our restricted cash primarily consists of amounts deposited and held in escrow
for the acquisition of YY live which has not been closed yet and cash pledged for short-term facilities. The short-term investments primarily consist of
fixed-rate and adjustable-rate debt investments with original maturity of less than one year.
We believe that our current cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments and anticipated cash flow from operations will be
sufficient to meet our anticipated cash needs, including our cash needs for working capital, capital expenditures and debt repayment, for at least the next
12 months. We may, however, require additional cash due to changing business conditions or other future developments, including any investments or
acquisitions we may decide to pursue, and we may incur additional indebtedness (such as loans, convertible senior notes and notes) in the future. In
addition, there is substantial doubt regarding iQIYI’s ability to continue as a going concern as it does not have sufficient funds without securing
additional financing to repurchase all or a significant portion of its outstanding 2025 convertible notes if redeemed by noteholders on April 1, 2023.
iQIYI has plans in place to reduce discretionary capital expenditures and operational expenses and secure additional financing, including, but not limited
to, obtaining additional credit facilities from banks in the normal course of business, re-financing certain existing loans and credit facilities, issuance of
asset-backed debt securities and raising funds through additional issuances of equity and/or debt in public and/or private capital markets. In March 2022,
iQIYI has entered into subscription agreements to issue iQIYI’s ordinary shares for a total purchase price of US$285 million in cash in a private
placement transaction. However, successful completion of such plans is dependent on factors beyond iQIYI’s control and there can be no assurances that
new financings or other transactions will be available to iQIYI on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, the potential worsening global
economic conditions and the recent disruptions to, and volatility in, the global financial markets resulting from factors beyond iQIYI’s control may
adversely impact iQIYI’s ability to secure additional financing. See also “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business
in China—iQIYI operates in a capital intensive industry and requires a significant amount of cash to fund its operations, content acquisitions and
technology investments. If iQIYI cannot obtain sufficient capital, its business, financial condition and prospects may be materially and adversely
affected.”
Furthermore, cash transfers from our PRC subsidiaries to their parent companies outside of China are subject to PRC government control of
currency conversion. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities
to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to their parent companies outside of China or our company, or otherwise satisfy
their foreign currency denominated obligations. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—
Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.” As of December 31, 2021, our PRC subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities held RMB159.6 billion (US$25.0 billion) of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and short-term investments,
RMB2.2 billion (US$343 million) of which were in the form of foreign currencies. As of December 31, 2021, we have made long-term loans in an
aggregate principal amount of RMB19.4 billion (US$3.0 billion) to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities. As of the date of this
annual report, we do not have any repayment schedule with respect to such loans to the nominee shareholders of our consolidated affiliated entities.
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Equity financing
We raised from our global offering in connection with the listing in Hong Kong approximately US$3.1 billion in net proceeds after deducting
underwriting commissions, share issuance costs and the offering expenses.
iQIYI entered into subscription agreements for an aggregate amount of US$285 million (equivalent to RMB1.8 billion) through private
investments in March 2022.
Short-term loans
The total outstanding balance of our short-term loans as of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 amounted to RMB2.6 billion, RMB3.0 billion and
RMB4.2 billion (US$654 million), respectively, which consisted of RMB denominated borrowings made by our subsidiaries from financial institutions
in the PRC and were repayable within one year. The repayment of substantially all short-term loans is guaranteed by the subsidiaries and VIEs of iQIYI
and either collateralized by an office building of one of iQIYI’s VIEs or collateralized by restricted cash or other receivables.
Certain of iQIYI’s outstanding short-term loan agreements contain financial and other covenants, which depend on the financial position or
performance of iQIYI’s subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, one of iQIYI’s VIEs did not satisfy certain financial
covenants, based on which the commercial bank becomes entitled to suspend the issuance of credit lines, and/or cause all outstanding amounts totaling
RMB600 million (US$94 million) with original maturity dates in 2022 to be due and repayable immediately. As of the date of this annual report, the
commercial bank has waived its right to demand immediate repayment, and also renewed the related credit lines for the same amount for one more year.
Therefore, this does not constitute an event of default with respect to iQIYI’s convertible notes. As of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the weighted
average interest rates for the outstanding borrowings were 4.05%, 4.30% and 4.80%, respectively, and the aggregate amounts of unused lines of credit
for short-term loans were RMB1.6 billion, RMB840 million and RMB2.8 billion (US$432 million), respectively.
Long-term loans
We have entered into the following long-term loan transactions with commercial banks:
•
•
In June 2016, we entered into a five-year term and revolving facility agreement with a group of 21 arrangers, pursuant to which we are
entitled to borrow an unsecured US$ denominated floating rate loan of US$1.0 billion with a term of five years and to borrow an unsecured
US$ denominated revolving loan of US$1.0 billion for five years. The facility was priced at 110 basis points over LIBOR and is intended
for our general working capital. In June 2016, we drew down two tranches of US$250 million each under the facility commitment. In
November 2016, we drew down two tranches of US$250 million each under the facility commitment. In connection with the drawdowns,
we entered into four interest rate swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans would be settled with a fixed annual interest rate of 2.11%,
2.10%, 2.78% and 2.78% respectively, during the respective term of the loans. The loan was fully repaid as of December 31, 2021.
In April 2021, we entered into a five-year US$3.0 billion term and revolving facilities agreement with a group of 22 arrangers. The
facilities consist of a US$1.5 billion five-year bullet maturity term loan and a US$1.5 billion five-year revolving facility. The facility was
priced at 85 basis points over LIBOR and is intended for our general corporate purposes. In June 2021, we drew down RMB9.6 billion
(US$1.5 billion) term loan and RMB 3.2 billion (US$500 million) revolving loan under the facility commitment. In connection with the
drawdowns, we entered into two interest rate swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans would be settled with a fixed annual interest
rate of 1.71% and 1.72%, during the respective term of the loans.
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•
iQIYI has other bank borrowings of RMB909 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily used for working capital purposes, see note 12 to
our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report for further information. The loan was fully repaid as
of December 31, 2021.
Debt securities issuances.
We have conducted the following rounds of debt securities issuances, which remain outstanding as of the date of this annual report:
•
•
•
•
In November 2012, we issued US$750 million senior unsecured notes due in 2017, with stated annual interest rates of 2.25%, and
US$750 million senior unsecured notes due in 2022 (“2022 Ten-year Notes”), with stated annual interest rates of 3.500%. The net proceeds
from the sale of the notes were used for general corporate purposes. In November 2017, notes with carrying value of US$750 million were
fully repaid when they became due. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value of these notes were
US$750 million and US$765 million, respectively. The estimated fair value was based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt
securities as of December 31, 2021. We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021,
we paid an aggregate of US$26 million in interest payments related to these notes.
In June 2015, we issued an aggregate of US$750 million senior unsecured notes due in 2020 (“2020 Notes”), with stated annual interest
rate of 3.000%, and an aggregate of US$500 million senior unsecured notes due in 2025 (“2025 Ten-year Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 4.125%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used for general corporate purposes. In June 2020, notes with
carrying value of US$750 million were fully repaid when they became due. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and
estimated fair value were US$500 million and US$537 million, respectively, with respect to the 2025 Ten-year Notes. The estimated fair
values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021. We are not subject to any financial
covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of US$21 million in interest payments related to
these notes.
In July 2017, we issued an aggregate of US$900 million senior unsecured notes due in 2022 (“2022 Five-year Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 2.875%, and an aggregate of US$600 million senior unsecured notes due in 2027 (“2027 Ten-year Notes”), with stated
annual interest rate of 3.625%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used to repay existing indebtedness and for general
corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were US$900 million and US$907 million,
respectively, with respect to the 2022 Five-year Notes, and US$600 million and US$642 million, respectively, with respect to the 2027
Ten-year Notes. The estimated fair values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021. We
are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of US$48 million
in interest payments related to these notes.
In March 2018, we issued an aggregate of US$1.0 billion senior unsecured notes due in 2023 (“2023 Notes”), with stated annual interest
rate of 3.875%, and an aggregate of US$500 million senior unsecured notes due in 2028 (“2028 March Notes”), with stated annual interest
rate of 4.375%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used to repay existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes.
As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were US$1.0 billion and US$1.0 billion, respectively, with
respect to the 2023 Notes, and US$500 million and US$554 million, respectively, with respect to the 2028 March Notes. The estimated fair
values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021. We are not subject to any financial
covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of US$61 million in interest payments related to
these notes.
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•
•
•
•
In November 2018, we issued an aggregate of US$600 million senior unsecured notes due in 2024 (“2024 November Notes”), with stated
annual interest rate of 4.375%, and an aggregate of US$400 million senior unsecured notes due in 2028 (“2028 November Notes”), with
stated annual interest rate of 4.875%. In December 2018, we issued an aggregate of US$250 million senior unsecured notes due in 2024
(“2024 December Notes”), with stated annual interest rate of 4.375%, which constitute a further issuance of, and be fungible with and be
consolidated and form a single series with the 2024 November Notes. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used to repay
existing indebtedness and for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were
US$600 million and US$638 million, respectively, with respect to the 2024 November Notes, US$400 million and US$458 million,
respectively, with respect to the 2028 November Notes, and US$250 million and US$266 million, respectively, with respect to the 2024
December Notes. The estimated fair values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021.
We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of
US$57 million in interest payments related to these notes.
In April 2020, we issued an aggregate of US$600 million senior unsecured notes due in 2025 (“2025 Five-year Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 3.075%, and an aggregate of US$400 million senior unsecured notes due in 2030 (“2030 April Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 3.425%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes were used to repay existing indebtedness and for general corporate
purposes. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were US$600 million and US$622 million,
respectively, with respect to the 2025 Five-Year Notes, US$400 million and US$419 million, respectively, with respect to the 2030 April
Notes. The estimated fair values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021. We are not
subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of US$32 million in
interest payments related to these notes.
In October 2020, we issued an aggregate of US$650 million senior unsecured notes due in 2026 (“2026 Notes”), with stated annual interest
rate of 1.720%, and an aggregate of US$300 million senior unsecured notes due in 2030 (“2030 October Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 2.375%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes are to be used to repay existing indebtedness. As of December 31,
2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were US$650 million and US$641 million, respectively, with respect to the 2026
Notes, and US$300 million and US$291 million, respectively, with respect to the 2030 October Notes. The estimated fair values were
based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31, 2021. We are not subject to any financial covenants or
other significant restrictions under the notes. In 2021, we paid an aggregate of US$18 million in interest payments related to these notes.
In August 2021, we issued an aggregate of US$300 million senior unsecured notes due in 2027 (“2027 Five-year Notes”), with stated
annual interest rate of 1.625%, and an aggregate of US$700 million senior unsecured notes due in 2031 (“2031 Notes”), with stated annual
interest rate of 2.375%. The net proceeds from the sale of the notes are to be used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of
certain existing indebtedness. As of December 31, 2021, the total carrying value and estimated fair value were US$300 million and
US$292 million, respectively, with respect to the 2027 Five-year Notes, and US$700 million and US$674 million, respectively, with
respect to the 2031 Notes. The estimated fair values were based on quoted prices for our publicly-traded debt securities as of December 31,
2021. We are not subject to any financial covenants or other significant restrictions under the notes.
Under the terms of the indentures governing the 2022 Ten-year Notes, the 2025 Ten-year Notes, the 2022 Five-year Notes, the 2027 Ten-year
Notes, the 2023 Notes and the 2028 March Notes, events of default include, among others, there occurring with respect to any of our indebtedness or
indebtedness of our principal controlled entities, an event of default resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal, interest or premium
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when due, and that the outstanding principal amount under payment default or accelerated maturity equals or exceeds the greater of US$100 million and
2.5% of our total equity. Under such indentures, principal controlled entities refer to entities as to which one or more of the following conditions is/are
satisfied: (i) its total revenue or consolidated total revenue attributable to our company is at least 5% of our consolidated total revenue, (ii) its net profit
or consolidated net profit attributable to our company is at least 5% of our consolidated net profit; or (iii) its net assets or consolidated net assets
attributable to our company are at least 10% of our consolidated net assets. For example, iQIYI constitutes a principal controlled entity under such
indentures.
Under the terms of the indentures governing the 2024 November Notes, the 2024 December Notes (consolidated into and form a single series with
the 2024 November Notes), the 2028 November Notes, the 2025 Five-year Notes, the 2030 April Notes, the 2026 Notes, the 2030 October Notes, the
2027 Five-year Notes and the 2031 Notes, events of default include, among others, there occurring with respect to any of our company’s indebtedness,
an event of default resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal, interest or premium when due, and that the outstanding principal
amount under payment default or accelerated maturity equals or exceeds the greater of US$100 million and 2.5% of our total equity.
If any such event of default were to take place, the holders of those notes may declare the principal of notes to be due and payable prior to the
stated maturity. Under the terms of the indentures governing the various notes, a declaration of acceleration of the relevant series of notes will be
automatically annulled if such event of default is remedied or cured by our company or any of our company’s principal controlled entities, in the case of
the 2022 Ten-year Notes, the 2025 Ten-year Notes, the 2022 Five-year Notes, the 2027 Ten-year Notes, the 2023 Notes and the 2028 March Notes, or
our company, in the case of the 2024 November Notes, the 2024 December Notes, the 2028 November Notes, the 2025 Five-year Notes, the 2030 April
Notes, the 2026 Notes, the 2030 October Notes, the 2027 Five-year Notes and the 2031 Notes, or waived by the holders of the relevant notes within 30
days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if the annulment of the acceleration of those notes would not conflict with any
judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2021, there was no such event of default.
iQIYI convertible notes.
iQIYI has conducted the following issuances of convertible notes, which remain outstanding as of the date of this annual report:
•
On December 4, 2018, iQIYI issued US$750 million convertible senior notes (the “iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes”). The iQIYI 2023
Convertible Notes are senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and interest is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 3.75% per annum
on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on June 1, 2019. The iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes will mature on December 1, 2023
unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes is 37.1830 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI
2023 Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$26.89 per ADS). Prior to June 1, 2023, the
iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any
calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on March 31, 2019, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20
trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of
the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day
period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading price per US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98%
of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a
tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes will be convertible
at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity
date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid
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interest. In addition, following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a
notice of a tax redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a
corporate event or such tax redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash,
ADSs, or a combination of cash and ADSs, at its election.
The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or portion of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes for cash on December 1, 2021, or upon a
fundamental change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. In 2021, iQIYI
redeemed US$747 million (equivalent to RMB4.8 billion) aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Notes as requested by the holders.
Following settlement of the repurchase, the repurchase amount which was fully accreted was derecognized and US$3 million (equivalent
to RMB20 million) aggregate principal amount of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes remained outstanding and was included in
“Convertible senior notes” as of December 31, 2021 as it will mature on December 1, 2023.
In connection with the issuance of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, iQIYI purchased capped call options (the “iQIYI 2023 Capped
Call”) on iQIYI’s ADS with certain counterparties at a price of US$68 million. The counterparties agreed to sell to iQIYI up to
approximately 28 million of iQIYI’s ADSs upon iQIYI’s exercise of the iQIYI 2023 Capped Call. The exercise price is equal to the iQIYI
2023 Convertible Notes’ initial conversion price and the cap price is US$38.42 per ADS, subject to certain adjustments under the terms of
the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions are expected to reduce potential dilution to existing holders of the ordinary
shares and ADSs of iQIYI upon conversion of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes and/or offset any potential cash payments that iQIYI is
required to make in excess of the principal amount of any converted notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to
a cap.
•
On March 29, 2019, iQIYI issued US$1.2 billion convertible senior notes (the “iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes”). The iQIYI 2025
Convertible Notes are senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and interest is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 2.00% per annum
on October 1 and April 1 of each year, beginning on October 1, 2019. The iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes will mature on April 1, 2025
unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes is 33.0003 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI
2025 Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$30.30 per ADS). Prior to October 1, 2024,
the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any
calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on June 30, 2019, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20
trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of
the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day
period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading price per US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98%
of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a
tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes will be convertible
at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity
date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition,
following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a notice of a tax
redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event
or such tax redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash, ADSs, or a
combination of cash and ADSs, at its election.
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The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes for cash on April 1, 2023, or upon a
fundamental change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
In connection with the issuance of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes, iQIYI purchased capped call options (the “iQIYI 2025 Capped
Call”) on iQIYI’s ADS with certain counterparties at a price of US$85 million. The counterparties agreed to sell to iQIYI up to
approximately 40 million of iQIYI’s ADSs upon iQIYI’s exercise of the iQIYI 2025 Capped Call. The exercise price is equal to the iQIYI
2025 Convertible Notes’ initial conversion price and the cap price is US$40.02 per ADS, subject to certain adjustments under the terms of
the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions are expected to reduce potential dilution to existing holders of the ordinary
shares and ADSs of iQIYI upon conversion of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and/or offset any potential cash payments that iQIYI is
required to make in excess of the principal amount of any converted notes, as the case may be, with such reduction and/or offset subject to
a cap.
•
On December 21, 2020, iQIYI issued US$800 million convertible senior notes and offered an additional US$100 million principal amount
simultaneously, pursuant to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional notes. On January 8, 2021, the additional US$100 million
principal amount was issued pursuant to the underwriters’ exercise of their option. The convertible senior notes issued on December 21,
2020 and January 8, 2021 (collectively referred to as the “iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes”) are senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and
interest is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 4.00% per annum on June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on June 15,
2021. The iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes will mature on December 15, 2026 unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes is 44.8179 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI
2026 Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$22.31 per ADS). Prior to June 15, 2026,
the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any
calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on March 31, 2021, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20
trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of
the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day
period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading price per US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98%
of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a
tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes will be convertible
at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity
date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid interest. In addition,
following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a notice of a tax
redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event
or such tax redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash, ADSs, or a
combination of cash and ADSs, at its election.
The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes for cash on August 1, 2024, or upon a
fundamental change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest
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The iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes are collectively referred to the iQIYI
Convertible Notes. Under the terms of the indentures governing the iQIYI Convertible Notes, events of default include:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
default in any payment of interest or additional amounts as defined under the respective indenture for a period of 30 days;
default in the payment of principal of any iQIYI Convertible Notes when due;
failure by iQIYI to comply with its obligation to convert the iQIYI Convertible Notes upon exercise of a holder’s conversion right for a
period of five business days;
failure by iQIYI to issue a Fundamental Change Company Notice or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change as defined under the respective
indenture or a specified corporate event when due for a period of five business days;
failure by iQIYI to comply with its obligations relating to consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance and lease under article 11 of the
respective indenture;
failure by iQIYI for 60 days after written notice from the trustee or by the trustee at the request of the holders of at least 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the respective iQIYI Convertible Notes then outstanding has been received by iQIYI to comply with any of other
agreements contained in the respective iQIYI Convertible Notes or the indenture;
default by iQIYI or its significant subsidiaries (defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), with respect to any mortgage,
agreement or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, secured or evidenced any indebtedness in excess of US$60 million
(or an equivalent amount in foreign currency), resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal or interest when due, and
such indebtedness is not discharged, or such acceleration is not otherwise cured or rescinded, within 30 days;
(viii)
a delay in payment or discharge of a final judgment for the payment of US$60 million (or an equivalent amount in foreign currency)
rendered against iQIYI or any of its significant subsidiaries;
(ix)
(x)
iQIYI or any of its significant subsidiaries shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or
other relief; and
an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against iQIYI or its significant subsidiaries seeking liquidation,
reorganization or other relief, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 30
consecutive days.
The indentures for these convertible notes define a “fundamental change” to include, among other things: (i) any person or group gaining control
of iQIYI, (ii) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of iQIYI’s ordinary shares or ADSs as a result of which these securities would be converted
into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets; (iii) the shareholders of iQIYI approving any plan or proposal for the liquidation
or dissolution of iQIYI; (iv) iQIYI’s ADSs ceasing to be listed on Nasdaq Stock Market; or (v) any change in or amendment to the laws, regulations and
rules of the PRC resulting in iQIYI being legally prohibited from operating substantially all of the business operations conducted by iQIYI being unable
to continue to derive substantially all of the economic benefits from the business operations conducted by these entities.
Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the trustee may declare the whole principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all the notes to be
due and payable immediately, subject to certain exceptions and conditions under the respective indenture. iQIYI may also be required to pay additional
interest.
Upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, holders of the iQIYI Convertible Notes will have the right, at their option, to require iQIYI to
repurchase all of their iQIYI Convertible Notes or any portion of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interests. In the event of a fundamental
change, iQIYI may also be required to
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issue additional ADSs upon conversion of its convertible notes. As of December 31, 2021, there was no such event of default or fundamental change.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021 the principal amount of the liability component of the iQIYI Convertible Notes were RMB18.0 billion and
RMB13.4 billion (US$2.1 billion), unamortized debt discount was RMB1.3 billion and RMB751 million (US$118 million), and the net carrying amount
of the liability component were RMB16.7 billion and RMB12.7 billion (US$2.0 billion), respectively. The carrying amount of the equity component of
the iQIYI Convertible Notes were RMB1.7 billion and RMB1.8 billion (US$281 million), respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020
and 2021, the amount of interest cost recognized relating to both the contractual interest coupon and amortization of the discount on the liability
component were RMB670 million, RMB799 million and RMB1.1 billion (US$175 million), respectively. As of December 31, 2021, the liability
component of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes will be accreted up to the principal amount of RMB7.6 billion
(US$1.2 billion) and RMB5.7 billion (US$900 million) over a remaining period of 1.25 years and 2.59 years, respectively.
We may use the net proceeds from our issuance and sale of the notes to fund the operations of our PRC subsidiaries by making additional capital
contributions to our existing PRC subsidiaries, injecting capital to establish new PRC subsidiaries and/or providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries. Such
transfer of funds from Baidu, Inc. or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries is subject to the PRC regulatory restrictions and
procedures: (i) capital increase of the existing PRC subsidiaries and establishment of new PRC subsidiaries must be registered with the local branch of
SAMR and reported to the Ministry of Commerce via the online enterprise registration system, and registered with local banks authorized by SAFE; and
(ii) loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries must not exceed the statutory limit and must be filed with SAFE. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk
Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies
and governmental control of currency conversion may delay or prevent us from making loans to our PRC subsidiaries, consolidated affiliated entities or
making additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.”
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, we had RMB55.8 billion and RMB66.3 billion (US$10.4 billion) in long-term loans and notes payables
(including current portion of RMB7.4 billion and RMB10.5 billion (US$1.6 billion)), RMB16.7 billion and RMB12.7 billion (US$2.0 billion) in long-
term convertible notes (including current portion of RMB4.8 billion and nil), RMB 7.1 billion and RMB 8.4 billion (US$1.3 billion) in lease liabilities
(including current portion of RMB2.4 billion and RMB2.9 billion (US$450 million)) and had RMB3.0 billion and RMB4.2 billion (US$654 million) in
short-term loans, respectively. Our long-term loans and notes payable, long-term convertible notes and short-term loans include those of iQIYI
hereinafter. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, iQIYI had RMB909 million and nil in long-term loans payables (including current portion of
RMB909 million and nil), RMB16.7 billion and RMB12.7 billion (US$2.0 billion) in long-term convertible notes (including current portion of
RMB4.8 billion and nil), RMB969 million and RMB797 million (US$125 million) in lease liabilities (including current portion of RMB201 million and
RMB172 million (US$27 million)) and had RMB3.0 billion and RMB4.1 billion (US$646 million) in short-term loans, respectively.
Cash Flows
As of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, we had RMB147.4 billion, RMB162.9 billion and RMB190.9 billion (US$30.0 billion) in cash, cash
equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments.
We entered into definitive agreements with JOYY in November 2020 and made certain amendments in February 2021 to acquire YY Live for an
aggregate purchase price of approximately US$3.6 billion in cash, subject to certain adjustments. The closing of this acquisition is subject to certain
conditions, including, among others, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals from governmental authorities. The share purchase agreement is subject
to termination if the closing does not occur by the long stop date, and we and JOYY have agreed to
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extend the long stop date to March 31, 2022, which may be further extended through mutual agreement of both parties, if the approval has not been
obtained by then. We have paid an aggregate of US$1.9 billion, after considering working capital adjustment of US$0.1 billion, to JOYY and its
designated escrow account, and deposited an aggregate of US$1.6 billion into several escrow accounts, in accordance with the terms and schedule set
forth in the share repurchase agreement According to the share purchase agreement, subject to certain conditions and adjustments, approximately
US$1.0 billion would be payable no later than the later of the closing and April 30, 2021, and approximately US$300 million would be payable no later
than the later of the closing and June 30, 2021 and a maximum amount of US$300 million would be payable subject to the achievement of certain
conditions. Despite good faith efforts, we have not obtained necessary regulatory approvals with respect to the proposed acquisition as of the date of this
annual report. There can be no assurance that the relevant regulatory approvals will be obtained or the acquisition of YY Live will be closed. See “Item
3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We face risks associated with our proposed acquisition of YY Live
and its online live streaming business.”
The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the years indicated:
Year ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
US$
Net cash provided by operating activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the year
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the year
Operating Activities
(in millions)
28,458 24,200 20,122 3,158
(19,974) (27,552) (31,444) (4,934)
5,665 23,396 3,671
(212)
(148)
2,101 11,131 1,747
29,827 34,439 36,540 5,733
34,439 36,540 47,671 7,480
(3,873)
1
4,612
(943)
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased to RMB20.1 billion (US$3.2 billion) in 2021 from RMB24.2 billion in 2020. This decrease
was primarily due to a decrease of RMB11.4 billion (US$1.8 billion) in net income, offset by a decrease of noncash investment and interest income by
RMB8.0 billion (US$1.3 billion).
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased to RMB24.2 billion in 2020 from RMB28.5 billion in 2019. This decrease was primarily due
to an addition of RMB10.5 billion in licensed copyrights resulting from reclassification of cash outflows for costs incurred to acquire licensed contents
from investing activities to operating activities due to the adoption of ASU 2019-02, an increase of RMB9.7 billion in investment and interest income
and a decrease of RMB7.8 billion in impairment of other assets, partially offset by an increase of RMB21.3 billion in net income.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was RMB31.4 billion (US$4.9 billion) in 2021, consisting primarily of RMB171.5 billion (US$26.9 billion)
in purchase of held-to-maturity investments, RMB25.6 billion (US$4.0 billion) in purchase of available-for-sale investments, RMB156.7 billion
(US$24.6 billion) in maturities of held-to-maturity investments, RMB25.9 billion (US$4.1 billion) in sales and maturities of available-for-sale
investments, RMB10.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) in acquisition of fixed assets, RMB12.0 billion (US$1.9 billion) in a prepayment of JOYY businesses
acquisition and RMB9.9 billion (US$1.6 billion) in proceeds from disposal of equity investments.
Net cash used in investing activities was RMB27.6 billion in 2020, consisting primarily of RMB159.2 billion in purchase of held-to-maturity
investments, RMB133.0 billion in purchase of available-for-sale
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investments, RMB134.3 billion in maturities of held-to-maturity investments, RMB135.6 billion in sales and maturities of available-for-sale
investments, and RMB4.5 billion in purchase of equity investments offset by RMB6.5 billion in proceeds from disposal of equity investments.
Net cash used in investing activities was RMB20.0 billion in 2019, consisting primarily of RMB12.2 billion for acquisition of licensed copyrights,
RMB6.4 billion for acquisition of fixed assets, RMB120.2 billion in purchase of held-to-maturity investments, RMB218.2 billion in purchase of
available-for-sale investments, offset by RMB46.6 billion in maturities of held-to-maturity investments and RMB291.2 billion in sales and maturities of
available-for-sale investments, and RMB6.3 billion in purchase of equity investments offset by RMB7.5 billion in proceeds from disposal of equity
investments.
We have adopted ASU 2019-02 on January 1, 2020 which the FASB issued in March 2019, and report cash flows related to the acquisition of
licensed copyrights as “operating activities” in the statement of cash flows, beginning with the period of adoption, as opposed to “investing activities.”
Financing Activities
Net cash provided by financing activities was RMB23.4 billion (US$3.7 billion) in 2021, consisting primarily of RMB19.9 billion (US$3.1
billion) net proceeds from the listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, RMB12.7 billion (US$2.0 billion) proceeds from long-term loans and
RMB6.4 billion (US$1.0 billion) net proceeds from our issuance of long-term notes offset by RMB7.6 billion (US$1.2 billion) used to repurchase our
shares and repayment of RMB7.3 billion (US$1.1 billion) for long-term loans.
Net cash provided by financing activities was RMB5.7 billion in 2020, consisting primarily of RMB13.3 billion from our issuance of long-term
notes, RMB5.2 billion from the issuance by iQIYI of convertible notes, and RMB4.7 billion from issuance of iQIYI’s shares offset by RMB13.1 billion
used to repurchase our shares and repayment of RMB5.4 billion for long-term notes.
Net cash used in financing activities was RMB3.9 billion in 2019, consisting primarily of our repayment of RMB6.9 billion for long-term notes
and RMB5.0 billion used to repurchase our shares, offset by RMB7.9 billion of net proceeds from the issuance by iQIYI of convertible notes.
Capital Expenditures
We made capital expenditures of RMB6.4 billion, RMB5.1 billion and RMB10.9 billion (US$1.7 billion) in 2019, 2020 and 2021, representing
6%, 5% and 9% of our total revenues, respectively. In the years of 2019, 2020 and 2021, our capital expenditures were primarily attributable to the
purchase of servers, network equipment and other computer hardware to increase our network infrastructure capacity. We funded our capital
expenditures primarily with net cash flows generated from operating activities.
Our capital expenditures may increase in the future as our business continues to grow, in connection with the expansion and improvement of our
network infrastructure and the construction of additional office buildings and cloud-computing based data centers. We currently plan to fund these
expenditures with our current cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and anticipated cash flow generated from our operating
activities.
Material Cash requirements
Our material cash requirements as of December 31, 2021 and any subsequent interim period primarily include our short term loans, long-term debt
obligations, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations and investment commitment obligations.
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Our long-term debt obligations primarily consist of long-term loans, notes payable and convertible notes and estimated interest payments.
Our operating lease obligations primarily represent our obligations for leasing internet data center facilities and office premises, which include all
future cash outflows under ASC Topic 842, Leases under Note 15 to our audited consolidated financial statements.
Our purchase obligations include purchase obligations for fixed assets, purchase obligations for bandwidth and property management fees, and
purchase obligations for content assets.
Purchase obligations for content assets consist primarily of expenditures for content assets under non-cancelable agreements for licensed
copyrights and produced content.
Our investment commitment obligations primarily relate to capital contributions obligation under certain arrangements which do not have
contractual maturity date.
We intend to fund our existing and future material cash requirements primarily with anticipated cash flows from operations, our existing cash
balance and other financing alternatives. We will continue to make cash commitments, including capital expenditures, to support the growth of our
business.
We have not entered into any financial guarantees or other commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. We have not
entered into any off-balance sheet derivative instruments. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an
unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated
entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging or research and development services with us.
The following table sets forth our contractual obligations by specified categories as of December 31, 2021:
Short-term debt obligations
Long-term debt obligations
Operating lease obligations
Purchase obligations for fixed assets
Purchase obligations for bandwidth and property management fees
Purchase obligations for content assets
Investment commitment obligations
Total
Payment Due by Period
Total
Less Than
1 Year
1-3 Years
3-5 Years
(In RMB millions)
4,168
90,243
9,276
4,088
586
20,630
1,271
130,262
4,168
12,935
2,946
4,053
326
10,578
NA
35,006
—
15,615
4,062
11
209
8,330
NA
28,227
—
39,672
1,665
14
25
1,685
NA
43,061
More than
5 Years
—
22,021
603
10
26
37
NA
22,697
Other than as discussed above, we did not have any significant capital and other commitments, long-term obligations or guarantees as of
December 31, 2021. The iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes will mature on April 1, 2025 unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such date. The
holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes for cash on April 1, 2023, which may result in a material
cash outlay of our company. The holders of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes may also require us to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2025
Convertible Notes for cash upon a fundamental change.
Holding Company Structure
Baidu, Inc. is a holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our subsidiaries and
consolidated affiliated entities in China. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, Baidu,
Inc.’s ability to pay dividends to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries and
license and service fees paid by our PRC consolidated affiliated entities. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on
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its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Baidu, Inc. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries
and consolidated affiliated entities are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends
except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies.
Our PRC subsidiaries, being foreign-invested enterprises established in China, are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserves,
namely, a general reserve fund, an enterprise expansion fund, a staff welfare fund and a bonus fund, all of which are appropriated from net profit as
reported in their PRC statutory accounts. Each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to a general reserve
fund until such fund has reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus
funds are at the discretion of the board of directors of the PRC subsidiaries.
Our consolidated affiliated entities must make appropriations from their after-tax profits as reported in their PRC statutory accounts to
non-distributable reserve funds, namely a statutory surplus fund, a statutory public welfare fund and a discretionary surplus fund. Each of our
consolidated affiliated entities is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to the statutory surplus fund until such fund has reached 50% of
its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the statutory public welfare fund and the discretionary surplus fund are at the discretion of our
consolidated affiliated entities.
Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are subject to certain restrictions with respect to paying
dividends or otherwise transferring any of their net assets to us. The amounts restricted include the paid-up capital and the statutory reserve funds of our
PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of our consolidated affiliated entities in which we have no legal ownership, totaling RMB40.8 billion,
RMB45.0 billion and RMB45.9 billion (US$7.2 billion) as of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
C. Research and Development
We have a team of experienced engineers who are based mostly in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. We also have development centers in
Sunnyvale, California and Seattle, Washington. We compete aggressively for engineering and recruit most of our engineers locally and have established
various recruiting and training programs with leading universities in China. We have also recruited experienced engineers globally.
In the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, our research and development expenditures were RMB18.3 billion, RMB19.5 billion and
RMB24.9 billion (US$3.9 billion), representing 17%, 18% and 20% of our total revenues, respectively. Our research and development expenses
primarily consist of salaries and benefits for research and development personnel. We expense research and development expenditures as they are
incurred, except for capitalized software development costs that fulfill the capitalization criteria.
D.
Trend Information
Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events for the
year ended December 31, 2021 that are reasonably likely to have a material and adverse effect on our total revenues, income, profitability, liquidity or
capital resources, or that would cause the disclosed financial information to be not necessarily indicative of future results of operations or financial
conditions.
E.
Critical Accounting Estimates
For our critical accounting estimates, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—A. Operating Results—Critical Accounting
Policies and Estimates.”
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Item 6.
Directors, Senior Management and Employees
A. Directors and Senior Management
The following table sets forth information regarding our directors and executive officers as of the date of this annual report.
Directors and Executive Officers
Robin Yanhong Li
James Ding
Brent Callinicos
Yuanqing Yang
Jixun Foo
Rong Luo
Haifeng Wang
Dou Shen
Herman Yu
Victor Zhixiang Liang
Shanshan Cui
Age
Position/Title
Independent Director
Independent Director
Independent Director
Independent Director
53 Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
56
56
57
53
40 Chief Financial Officer
50 Chief Technology Officer
42 Executive Vice President
51 Chief Strategy Officer
48 Senior Vice President
46 Senior Vice President
Robin Yanhong Li is our co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of our Board of Directors, overseeing our overall strategy and business
operations. Mr. Li has been serving as the chairman since our inception in January 2000 and as our chief executive officer since February 2004. Mr. Li
served as our president from February 2000 to December 2003. Prior to founding our company, Mr. Li worked as an engineer for Infoseek, a pioneer in
the search industry, and as a senior consultant for IDD Information Services. Mr. Li currently serves on the board of New Oriental Education &
Technology Group Inc., a private educational services provider in China (NYSE: EDU; SEHK: 9901), Trip.com, an online travel agency in China
(Nasdaq: TCOM) and iQIYI (Nasdaq: IQ). Mr. Li received a bachelor’s degree in information science from Peking University and a master’s degree in
computer science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
James Ding has served as our independent director since our initial public offering in August 2005. Mr. Ding brings a deep understanding of the
internet and artificial intelligence industry, which is relevant to and continuously supported the growth and evolution of our principal business since his
appointment. He also brings extensive experience as a high tech entrepreneur and chief executive officer of a Nasdaq-listed company. Mr. Ding is a
valuable member of the Company’s board of directors and continues to make important contribution to our company. He is also a member of our audit
committee and corporate governance and nominating committee, and the chairman of our compensation committee. Mr. Ding is currently a managing
director of GSR Ventures, which focuses on early stage companies in the artificial intelligence, big data, information technology related healthcare,
virtual reality/augmented reality and new media sectors. Prior to that, Mr. Ding served as a co-chairman of the board of directors of AsiaInfo-Linkage
Inc., a former Nasdaq-listed company, from July 2010 to January 2014. Mr. Ding also served as the chairman of the board of AsiaInfo from April 2003
to July 2010, and has served as a member of the board since AsiaInfo’s inception in 1993. Mr. Ding served as the chief executive officer and president of
AsiaInfo from 1999 to 2003 and as senior vice president and chief technology officer of AsiaInfo from 1993 to 1999. Mr. Ding currently serves as
director of the board of AsiaInfo (which is currently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as AsiaInfo Technologies Limited with stock code 1675
and played an important role in the design and development of China’s internet infrastructure). Mr. Ding is also the founder of e-China Alliances.
Mr. Ding received a master’s degree in information science from the University of California, Los Angeles and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from
Peking University in China.
Brent Callinicos has served as our independent director since October 2015, and as the chairman of our audit committee since April 2016.
Mr. Callinicos served as the chief operating officer and the chief financial officer of Virgin Hyperloop One from January 2017 to January 2018. Prior to
that, Mr. Callinicos served as the
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chief financial officer of Uber Technologies Inc. from September 2013 to March 2015, and then as an advisor for 18 additional months. Prior to joining
Uber, he worked at Google from January 2007 to September 2013, where he last served as vice president, treasurer and chief accountant. He also led
green energy investments and financial services at Google Inc. From 1992 to 2007, he served in a variety of increasingly senior roles at Microsoft
Corporation, where he last served as corporate vice-president and divisional chief financial officer of the Platforms and Services Division, and oversaw
Microsoft’s Worldwide Licensing and Pricing and Microsoft Financing. He currently serves on the board of directors of PVH Corp. (NYSE: PVH), and
Rubicon. Mr. Callinicos is a certified public accountant. Mr. Callinicos received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and an M.B.A. degree from the Kenan-Flagler School of Business at Chapel Hill.
Yuanqing Yang has served as our independent director since October 2015. Mr. Yang is currently the chairman and chief executive officer of
Lenovo Group Limited (SEHK: 992), a director of Sureinvest Holdings Limited and Taikang Insurance Group. He also serves as a member of the
International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution. Mr. Yang joined Lenovo in 1989 and has led the company from the initial China-based PC
maker to a diversified global technology leader. In 2011, FinanceAsia named Mr. Yang the Best CEO in China. In 2004 and 2012, Mr. Yang was named
one of the “CCTV China Annual Economic Figures.” He was on Barron’s list of Best CEOs in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In 2014, Mr. Yang won an Edison
Achievement Award for Innovation. Mr. Yang holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Science and Technology of China and
a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Jixun Foo has served as our independent director since July 2019. Mr. Foo has served as managing partner at GGV Capital since 2006, working
with entrepreneurs in the travel, transportation, social media, e-commerce and enterprise services sectors in China. Prior to joining GGV Capital,
Mr. Foo was a director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson ePlanet Ventures, where he led investments in Asia. Mr. Foo also previously led investments under the
finance and investment division of the National Science and Technology Board of Singapore and served as an R&D project group leader at Hewlett
Packard. Mr. Foo currently serves on the board of XPeng Inc. (NYSE: XPEV) and on the boards of a number of private companies, including Hello.
Mr. Foo received a First-Class Honors bachelor’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in the management of technology from the National
University of Singapore.
Rong Luo has served as our chief financial officer since November 2021. Prior to joining us, Mr. Luo served as the chief financial officer of TAL
Education Group, an NYSE listed company, from November 2014 to October 2021 and played several key management roles. Prior to that, Mr. Luo was
the chief financial officer of eLong Inc. from 2013 to 2014. Before that, Mr. Luo held different financial management positions at Lenovo Group and
Microsoft. Mr. Luo holds bachelor’s degrees in both information management and systems and economics from Peking University, a master’s degree in
management science and engineering from Tsinghua University, and a Ph.D. degree in management science from Peking University.
Haifeng Wang has served as our chief technology officer since May 2019, overseeing our AI lab, systems & technology and cloud group.
Dr. Wang joined Baidu in 2010 and was promoted to vice president in 2013. Dr. Wang oversaw our core search products from 2014 to 2017. He was
promoted to senior vice president in 2018. Prior to Baidu, Dr. Wang served as the chief research scientist at Toshiba’s R&D Center. Dr. Wang is the
president of National Engineering Laboratory for Deep Learning Technology and Applications. Dr. Wang is an IEEE fellow, and a fellow (and former
president) of the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) and the founding chair of ACL’s Asia-Pacific chapter. Dr. Wang obtained his
bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from the Harbin Institute of Technology.
Dou Shen has served as executive vice president since May 2019. Dr. Shen has also been a director of Beijing Xiaodu Interactive Entertainment
Technology Co., Ltd. since January 2018, and the chairman of Beijing Xiaodu Interactive Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd. since September 2020.
Previously, Dr. Shen served as senior vice president of Baidu’s mobile products, overseeing the development of Baidu App, Haokan short video
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app and Smart Mini Program. Dr. Shen joined Baidu in 2012 and has served in various management roles, including web search, display advertising and
the financial services group. Prior to Baidu, Dr. Shen worked in the adCenter group at Microsoft and sold Buzzlabs, a social media monitoring and
analysis platform company that he co-founded, to IAC-owned CityGrid Media. Dr. Shen has been the board of directors of Trip.com, an online travel
agency in China (Nasdaq: TCOM) since October 2019, iQIYI, Inc. (Nasdaq: IQ) since September 2019, Kuaishou Technology (SEHK: 1024) since
April 2018.Dr. Shen received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from North China Electric Power University, a master’s degree in engineering from
Tsinghua University, and a Ph.D. in computer science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Herman Yu joined Baidu in September 2017 and served as our chief financial officer until November 2021. In August 2021, Mr. Yu also took on
the role of chief strategy officer, responsible for corporate strategy and business development, and continues to serve in this capacity. Prior to joining
Baidu, Mr. Yu served as the chief financial officer of Weibo Corp. (NASDAQ: WB), a leading social media company from 2015 to 2017. Prior to
Weibo, Mr. Yu worked at SINA Corp. (NASDAQ: SINA), a leading portal from 2004 to 2015, initially as VP of Finance and in 2006 became the chief
financial officer. Mr. Yu currently serves on the board of directors of ZTO Express Inc. (NYSE: ZTO; SEHK: 2057), an express delivery company.
Mr. Yu, a California Certified Public Accountant, received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and master
in accountancy (MAcc) from the University of Southern California.
Victor Zhixiang Liang joined Baidu in June 2005, and became senior vice president and general counsel in June 2011. Mr. Liang leads our legal
and government relations functions. Mr. Liang also served as an executive assistant to the CEO from January 2013 to February 2018. Prior to joining
Baidu, he worked at the legislative affairs office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as a visiting
attorney at their New York Office. Mr. Liang received an LL.M. degree from Yale Law School and law degrees from the University of New South Wales
and Peking University.
Shanshan Cui currently serves as our senior vice president in charge of human resources and administrative functions since May 2019. Ms. Cui
joined us in January 2000 overseeing the search technology group, and is a founding member of the company. Ms. Cui left Baidu in July 2010 to pursue
personal interests and rejoined Baidu in December 2017, initially serving as Secretary General to our Organizational Culture Committee. In this
capacity, Ms. Cui oversaw employee culture and organization effectiveness, implementing initiatives, such as OKR (objectives & key results)
management, throughout the company. Ms. Cui received a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Beijing Institute of Technology and a master’s
degree in computer science from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
B.
Compensation
In 2021, we paid an aggregate of RMB18 million (US$3 million) in cash compensation and granted options to purchase an aggregate of 1,299,528
Class A ordinary shares and 3,310,128 restricted Class A ordinary shares to our executive officers that are in office as of the date of this annual report as
a group. During the same period, we also paid an aggregate of RMB650,005 (US$102,000) in cash compensation to our non-executive directors as a
group. Our PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities are required by law to make contributions equal to certain percentages of each
employee’s salary for his or her pension insurance, medical insurance, housing fund, unemployment insurance and other statutory benefits. Other than
the above-mentioned statutory contributions mandated by applicable PRC law, we have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension,
retirement or other similar benefits to our executive officers and directors. No executive officer is entitled to any severance benefits upon termination of
his or her employment with our company except as required under applicable PRC law.
Our board of directors and shareholders approved the issuance of up to 403,200,000 ordinary shares upon exercise of awards granted under our
2000 option plan. Our 2000 option plan terminated in January 2010 upon the expiration of its ten-year term. At the annual general meeting held on
December 16, 2008, our shareholders
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approved a 2008 share incentive plan, which has reserved an additional 274,302,160 Class A ordinary shares for awards to be granted pursuant to its
terms. Our 2008 share incentive plan terminated in December 2018 upon the expiration of its ten-year term. On July 20, 2018, our board of directors
approved a 2018 share incentive plan, which has reserved an additional 275,516,000 Class A ordinary shares (taking into account the Share Subdivision)
for awards to be granted pursuant to its terms. As of December 31, 2021, options to purchase an aggregate of 51,005,680 Class A ordinary shares and an
aggregate of 299,193,448 restricted Class A ordinary shares had been granted under the 2008 and 2018 share incentive plans.
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Table of Contents
The following table summarizes, as of December 31, 2021, the outstanding options and restricted Class A ordinary shares that we had granted to
our current directors and executive officers and to other individuals as a group.
Name
Robin Yanhong Li
James Ding
Brent Callinicos
Yuanqing Yang
Jixun Foo
Rong Luo
Haifeng Wang
Dou Shen
Herman Yu
Victor Zhixiang Liang
Shanshan Cui
Other individuals as a group
Ordinary Shares
Underlying
Outstanding Options
342,368
193,200
958,160
3,512,320
211,040
724,800
469,120
198,640(1)
524,200(1)
124,632(1)
988,320(1)
845,920(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*
*(1)
*
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*
*
*
*
*
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
*(1)
142,616,920
179
Exercise Price
(US$/Share)
13.538
21.566
26.834
25.863
19.778
21.888
23.251
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
20.178
—
23.483
—
—
—
—
12.486
—
—
—
—
—
—
12.486
—
—
—
—
0.001
0.001
0.001
0.001
0.001
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Grant Date
January 31, 2013
February 24, 2014
February 11, 2015
April 16, 2015
February 25, 2016
October 27, 2016
February 22, 2017
February 9, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020
February 5, 2020
November 8, 2021
November 8, 2021
April 27, 2017
February 9, 2018
July 21, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
August 8, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
November 8, 2021
February 9, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
August 8, 2019
August 8, 2019
October 28, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
February 9, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
February 9, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
February 9, 2018
February 18, 2019
May 23, 2019
February 5, 2020
February 8, 2021
—
Expiration Date
January 31, 2023
February 24, 2024
February 11, 2025
April 16, 2025
February 25, 2026
October 27, 2026
February 22, 2027
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
November 8, 2031
N/A
April 27, 2027
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
August 8, 2029
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
August 8, 2029
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
February 9, 2028
February 1, 2029
May 23, 2029
February 5, 2030
February 8, 2031
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
—
Table of Contents
*
The options and restricted shares in aggregate held by each of these directors and officers represent less than 1% of our total outstanding shares. The options held by these directors and
officers represent less than 1% of our outstanding shares. (1) Restricted shares.
The following paragraphs summarize the key terms of our 2008 share incentive plan adopted on December 16, 2008 and our 2018 share incentive
plan adopted on July 20, 2018:
2008 Share Incentive Plan
The following paragraphs summarize the key terms of our 2008 share incentive plan.
Types of Awards. We may grant the following types of awards under our 2008 share incentive plan:
•
•
•
•
options (incentive share options, or ISO);
restricted shares;
restricted share units; and
any other form of awards granted to a participant pursuant to the 2008 plan.
Plan Administration. The compensation committee of our board of directors administers our 2008 share incentive plan, but may delegate to a
committee of one or more members of our board of directors the authority to grant or amend awards to participants other than independent directors and
executive officers. The compensation committee will determine the provisions and terms and conditions of each award grant, including, but not limited
to, the exercise price, the grant price or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or
restrictions on the exercisability of an award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, any provisions related to non-competition and recapture of gain on an
award, based in each case on such considerations as the committee in its sole discretion determines. The compensation committee has the sole power
and discretion to cancel, forfeit or surrender an outstanding award (whether or not in exchange for another award or combination or awards).
Award Agreement. Awards granted under our 2008 share incentive plan are evidenced by an award agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions
and limitations for each award which may include the term of an award, the provisions applicable in the event the participant’s employment or service
ends, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind an award.
Eligibility. We may grant awards to employees, directors and consultants of our company or any of our related entities, which include our
subsidiaries or any entities in which we hold a substantial ownership interest. However, we may grant ISOs only to our employees and employees of our
majority-owned subsidiaries.
Acceleration of Awards upon Corporate Transactions. The outstanding awards will accelerate (i) upon occurrence of a change-of-control
corporate transaction where any person acquires at least 50% of the total combined voting power of our outstanding securities or the incumbent board
members no longer constitute at least 50% of our board, or (ii) upon occurrence of any other change-of-control corporate transaction in which the
successor entity does not assume our outstanding awards under our 2008 share incentive plan; provided that the plan participant remains an employee,
consultant or member of our board of directors on the effective date of the corporate transaction. In such event, each outstanding award will become
fully exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such award will lapse immediately prior to the specified effective date of the corporate transaction.
If the successor entity assumes our outstanding awards and later terminates the grantee’s employment or service without cause within 12 months
of the corporate transaction, or if the grantee resigns voluntarily with good reason, the outstanding awards automatically will become fully vested and
exercisable. The compensation committee may also, in its sole discretion, upon or in anticipation of a corporate transaction, accelerate awards, purchase
the awards from the plan participants, replace the awards, or provide for the payment of the awards in cash.
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Exercise Price and Term of Awards. The exercise price per share subject to an option may be amended or adjusted in the absolute discretion of the
compensation committee, the determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange
rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices of options mentioned in the preceding sentence shall be effective without the approval of our
shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If we grant an ISO to an employee, who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more
than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our share capital, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of our ordinary
shares on the date of that grant. The compensation committee will determine the time or times at which an option may be exercised in whole or in part,
including exercise prior to vesting. The term may not exceed ten years from the date of the grant, except that five years is the maximum term of an ISO
granted to an employee who holds more than 10% of the voting power of our share capital.
Restricted Shares and Restricted Share Units. The compensation committee is also authorized to make awards of restricted shares and restricted
share units. Except as otherwise determined by the compensation committee at the time of the grant of an award or thereafter, upon termination of
employment or service during the applicable restriction period, restricted shares that are at the time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited or
repurchased in accordance with the respective award agreements.
Vesting Schedule. The compensation committee determines, and the award agreement specifies, the vesting schedule of options and other awards
granted. The compensation committee determines the time or times at which an option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to
vesting, and also determines any conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of an option may be exercised. At the time of grant for restricted
share units, the compensation committee specifies the date on which the restricted share units become fully vested and non-forfeitable, and may specify
such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate.
Amendment and Termination. With the approval of our board of directors, the compensation committee may at any time amend, suspend or
terminate our 2008 share incentive plan. Amendments to our 2008 share incentive plan are subject to shareholder approval, to the extent required by law,
or by stock exchange rules or regulations. Any amendment, suspension or termination of our 2008 share incentive plan must not adversely affect in any
material way awards already granted without written consent of the recipient of such awards. Unless terminated earlier, our 2008 share incentive plan
shall continue in effect for a term of ten years from the date of adoption.
2018 Share Incentive Plan
The following paragraphs summarize the key terms of our 2018 share incentive plan.
Types of Awards. We may grant the following types of awards under our 2018 share incentive plan:
•
•
•
•
options (incentive share options, or ISO);
restricted shares;
restricted share units; and
any other form of awards granted to a participant pursuant to the 2018 plan.
Plan Administration. The compensation committee of our board of directors administers our 2018 share incentive plan, but may delegate to a
committee of one or more members of our board of directors the authority to grant or amend awards to participants other than independent directors and
executive officers. The compensation committee will determine the provisions and terms and conditions of each award grant, including, but not limited
to, the exercise price, the grant price or purchase price, any restrictions or limitations on the award, any schedule for lapse of forfeiture restrictions or
restrictions on the exercisability of an award, and accelerations or waivers thereof, any provisions related to non-competition and recapture of gain on an
award, based in each case on such considerations as the committee in its sole discretion determines. The compensation committee has the sole power
and discretion to cancel, forfeit or surrender an outstanding award (whether or not in exchange for another award or combination or awards).
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Award Agreement. Awards granted under our 2018 share incentive plan are evidenced by an award agreement that sets forth the terms, conditions
and limitations for each award which may include the term of an award, the provisions applicable in the event the participant’s employment or service
ends, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind an award.
Eligibility. We may grant awards to employees, directors and consultants of our company or any of our related entities, which include our
subsidiaries or any entities in which we hold a substantial ownership interest. However, we may grant ISOs only to our employees and employees of our
majority-owned subsidiaries.
Acceleration of Awards upon Corporate Transactions. The outstanding awards will accelerate (i) upon occurrence of a change-of-control
corporate transaction where any person acquires at least 50% of the total combined voting power of our outstanding securities or the incumbent board
members no longer constitute at least 50% of our board, or (ii) upon occurrence of any other change-of-control corporate transaction in which the
successor entity does not assume our outstanding awards under our 2018 share incentive plan; provided that the plan participant remains an employee,
consultant or member of our board of directors on the effective date of the corporate transaction. In such event, each outstanding award will become
fully exercisable and all forfeiture restrictions on such award will lapse immediately prior to the specified effective date of the corporate transaction.
If the successor entity assumes our outstanding awards and later terminates the grantee’s employment or service without cause within 12 months
of the corporate transaction, or if the grantee resigns voluntarily with good reason, the outstanding awards automatically will become fully vested and
exercisable. The compensation committee may also, in its sole discretion, upon or in anticipation of a corporate transaction, accelerate awards, purchase
the awards from the plan participants, replace the awards, or provide for the payment of the awards in cash.
Exercise Price and Term of Awards. The exercise price per share subject to an option may be amended or adjusted in the absolute discretion of the
compensation committee, the determination of which shall be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange
rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise prices of options mentioned in the preceding sentence shall be effective without the approval of our
shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If we grant an ISO to an employee, who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more
than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our share capital, the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of our ordinary
shares on the date of that grant. The compensation committee will determine the time or times at which an option may be exercised in whole or in part,
including exercise prior to vesting. The term may not exceed ten years from the date of the grant, except that five years is the maximum term of an ISO
granted to an employee who holds more than 10% of the voting power of our share capital.
Restricted Shares and Restricted Share Units. The compensation committee is also authorized to make awards of restricted shares and restricted
share units. Except as otherwise determined by the compensation committee at the time of the grant of an award or thereafter, upon termination of
employment or service during the applicable restriction period, restricted shares that are at the time subject to restrictions shall be forfeited or
repurchased in accordance with the respective award agreements.
Vesting Schedule. The compensation committee determines, and the award agreement specifies, the vesting schedule of options and other awards
granted. The compensation committee determines the time or times at hich an option may be exercised in whole or in part, including exercise prior to
vesting, and also determines any conditions that must be satisfied before all or part of an option may be exercised. At the time of grant for restricted
share units, the compensation committee specifies the date on which the restricted share units become fully vested and non-forfeitable, and may specify
such conditions to vesting as it deems appropriate.
Amendment and Termination. With the approval of our board of directors, the compensation committee may at any time amend, suspend or
terminate our 2018 share incentive plan. To the extent our company decides to not
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to follow home country practice, Amendments to our 2018 share incentive plan are subject to shareholder approval, to the extent required by law, or by
stock exchange rules or regulations. Any amendment, suspension or termination of our 2018 share incentive plan must not adversely affect in any
material way awards already granted without written consent of the recipient of such awards. Unless terminated earlier, our 2018 share incentive plan
shall continue in effect for a term of ten years from the date of adoption.
C.
Board Practices
Board of Directors
Our board of directors has five directors. A director is not required to hold any shares in the company by way of qualification. A director may vote
with respect to any contract, proposed contract or arrangement in which he is materially interested. A director may exercise all the powers of the
company to borrow money, mortgage its undertakings, property and uncalled capital, and issue debentures or other securities whenever money is
borrowed or as security for any obligation of the company or of any third party. The remuneration to be paid to the directors is determined by the board
of directors. There is no age limit requirement for directors.
Committees of the Board of Directors
We have three committees under the board of directors: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a corporate governance and
nominating committee. We have adopted a charter for each of the three committees.
Audit Committee
Our audit committee consists of Brent Callinicos, James Ding and Yuanqing Yang, all of whom satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule
5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Callinicos is an
audit committee financial expert as defined in the instructions to Item 16A of the Form 20-F. The audit committee oversees our accounting and financial
reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The audit committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
appointing, retaining and overseeing the work of the independent auditors, including resolving disagreements between the management
and the independent auditors relating to financial reporting;
pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by the independent auditors;
reviewing annually the independence and quality control procedures of the independent auditors;
reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions;
discussing the annual audited financial statements with the management;
meeting separately with the independent auditors to discuss critical accounting policies, management letters, recommendations on internal
controls, the auditor’s engagement letter and independence letter and other material written communications between the independent
auditors and the management; and
attending to such other matters that are specifically delegated to our audit committee by our board of directors from time to time.
In 2021, our audit committee held meetings or passed resolutions by unanimous written consent eight times.
Compensation Committee
Our compensation committee consists of James Ding, Yuanqing Yang and Jixun Foo, all of whom satisfy the “independence” requirements of
Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. The compensation
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committee assists the board in reviewing and approving our compensation structure, including all forms of compensation relating to our directors and
executive officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting while his compensation is deliberated. The compensation
committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
•
•
•
reviewing and approving, or recommending to the board for its approval, the compensation for our chief executive officer and other
executive officers;
reviewing and recommending to the board for determination with respect to the compensation of our non-employee directors;
reviewing periodically and approving any incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or similar arrangements; and
selecting compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser only after taking into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s
independence from management.
In 2021, our compensation committee held meetings or passed resolutions by unanimous written consent five times.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee
Our corporate governance and nominating committee consists of Yuanqing Yang and James Ding, both of whom satisfy the “independence”
requirements of Rule 5605(a) (2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. The corporate governance and nominating committee assists the board of directors
in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees. The corporate governance
and nominating committee is responsible for, among other things:
•
•
•
•
recommending to the board nominees for election or re-election to the board or for appointments to fill any vacancies;
reviewing annually the performance of each incumbent director in determining whether to recommend such director for an additional term;
overseeing the board in the board’s annual review of its own performance and the performance of the management; and
considering, preparing and recommending to the board such policies and procedures with respect to corporate governance matters as may
be required or required to be disclosed under the applicable laws or otherwise considered to be material.
In 2021, our corporate governance and nominating committee passed resolutions by unanimous written consent one time.
Terms of Directors and Executive Officers
All directors hold office until their successors have been duly appointed and qualified. None of our directors is subject to a fixed term of office. In
addition, the service agreements between us and the directors do not provide benefits upon termination of their services. Director nomination is subject
to the approval of our corporate governance and nominating committee. Our shareholders may remove any director by ordinary resolution and may in
like manner appoint another person in his stead. A valid ordinary resolution requires a majority of the votes cast at a shareholder meeting that is duly
constituted and meets the quorum requirement. Officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the board of directors.
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Board Diversity
Board Diversity Matrix (As of February 28, 2022)
Country of Principal Executive Offices:
Foreign Private Issuer
Disclosure Prohibited Under Home Country Law
Total Number of Directors
Part I: Gender Identity
Directors
Part II: Demographic Background
Underrepresented Individual in Home Country Jurisdiction
LGBTQ+
D.
Employees
People’s Republic of China
Yes
No
5
Female
Male
Non-Binary
Did Not
Disclose
Gender
0
5
N/A
N/A
0
0
We had approximately 38,000, 41,000 and 45,500 full time employees as of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively. As of December 31,
2021, we had approximately 27,500 employees in research and development, 9,800 employees in sales and marketing, 5,100 employees in operation and
service, and 3,100 employees in management and administration. As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately 29,900 employees in Beijing, 15,300
employees outside of Beijing but within China, and approximately 300 employees outside of China. We also hire temporary employees and contractors
from time to time. Our employees are not covered by any collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relations with our employees to be generally
good. However, as our operations and employee base further expand, we cannot assure you that we will always be able to maintain good relations with
all of our employees. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—We may not be able to manage our
expanding operations effectively.”
E.
Share Ownership
The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of January 31, 2022 by:
•
•
each of our directors and executive officers; and
each person known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our total issued and outstanding shares.
The calculations in the table below are based on 2,764,404,104 ordinary shares, consisting of 2,205,103,784 Class A ordinary shares and
559,300,320 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of January 31, 2022. For purpose of this table, each ADS representing eight Class A
ordinary share, which represents the ADS-to-ordinary-share ratio after the Share Subdivision.
Beneficial ownership is determined in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. In computing the number of shares beneficially
owned by a person and the percentage ownership and voting power percentage of that person, we have included shares and associated votes that the
person has the right to acquire within 60 days, including through the exercise of any option, warrant or other right or the conversion of any other
security. These shares and associated votes, however, are not included in the computation of the percentage ownership of any other person.
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See “—B. Compensation” for more details on options and restricted shares granted to our directors and executive officers.
Directors and Executive Officers:
Robin Yanhong Li(1)
James Ding
Brent Callinicos
Yuanqing Yang
Jixun Foo
Rong Luo
Haifeng Wang
Dou Shen
Herman Yu
Victor Zhixiang Liang
Shanshan Cui
All Directors and Executive Officers as a Group
Principal Shareholders:
Handsome Reward Limited(2)
Class A
Ordinary
Shares
Class B
Ordinary
Shares
Total
Ordinary
Shares
% of Total
Ordinary
Shares
% of
Aggregate
Voting
Power†
17,664,568
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
20,525,968
439,200,000
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
439,200,000
456,864,568
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
459,725,968
16.5
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
16.6
56.5
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
56.5
12,382,368
439,200,000
451,582,368
16.3
56.4
Notes:
†
*
**
(1)
For each person and group included in this column, percentage of voting power is calculated by dividing the voting power beneficially owned by
such person or group by the voting power of all of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares as a single class. Each holder of
Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of our Class B ordinary shares is entitled to 10 votes per share on all
matters submitted to them for a vote. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters
submitted to a vote of our shareholders and other matters as may otherwise be required by law. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible at any
time by the holder thereof into one Class A ordinary share.
Less than 1% of our total outstanding ordinary shares.
Except for James Ding, Yuanqing Yang, Brent Callinicos and Jixun Foo, the business address of our directors and executive officers is c/o Baidu,
Inc., Baidu Campus, Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, PRC.
Includes (i) 3,013,200 Class A Ordinary Shares directly held by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li on record, (ii) 2,269,000 Class A ordinary shares in the
form of ADSs held by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li in the brokerage account of the administrator of our employee stock option program,
(iii) 439,200,000 Class B ordinary shares held on record by Handsome Reward Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned by
Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, (iv) 5,772,720 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Handsome Reward Limited in the brokerage account
of the administrator of our employee stock option program, (v) 6,411,008 Class A ordinary shares issuable to Handsome Reward Limited upon
exercise of options within 60 days after the date of January 31, 2022, (vi) 198,640 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable to Handsome Reward Limited
upon vesting of restricted shares within 60 days after January 31, 2022 and (vii) excludes 116,000,000 Class B ordinary shares owned by
Ms. Melissa Ma, Mr. Robin Yanhong Li’s wife, who owned 27,333 ADSs in the brokerage account of the administrator of our employee stock
option program and the right to acquire 9,677 ADSs upon the vesting of restricted share units granted under our share incentive plan within 60
days after January 31, 2022 of which Mr. Robin Yanhong Li disclaims beneficial ownership. The voting power of the shares beneficially owned by
Mr. Robin Yanhong Li represented 56.5% of the total outstanding voting power of our company as of January 31, 2022.
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(2)
Includes (i) 439,200,000 Class B ordinary shares held by Handsome Reward Limited, a British Virgin Islands company wholly owned and
controlled by Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, (ii) 5,772,720 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Handsome Reward Limited in the
brokerage account of the administrator of our employee stock option program, (iii) 6,411,008 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable to Handsome
Reward Limited upon exercise of options within 60 days after the date of January 31, 2022, and (iv) 198,640 Class A Ordinary Shares issuable to
Handsome Reward Limited upon vesting of restricted shares within 60 days after January 31, 2022.
As of January 31, 2022, to our knowledge, approximately 67.1% of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares were held by three record
shareholders in the United States, including approximately 66.9% held by The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of our ADS program. The
number of beneficial owners of ADSs in the United States is likely to be much larger than the number of record holders of our ordinary shares in the
United States. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of our company.
Weighted Voting Rights Structure
Under our weighted voting rights structure, our share capital comprises Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Each Class A
ordinary share entitles the holder to exercise one vote, and each Class B ordinary share entitles the holder to exercise 10 votes, respectively, on all
matters subject to the vote at general meetings of our company. We issued Class A ordinary shares represented by our ADSs in our initial public offering
in 2005.
Pursuant to our articles of association, the directors of our board may, from time to time subject to their fiduciary duties to act in the best interests
of our company and for a proper purpose, cause our company to issue preferred shares and determine, among others, their conversion rights, which may
include conversion to Class A and/or Class B ordinary shares. Such rights are subject to the approval and discretion of the board.
Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—
Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our ADSs and Class A Ordinary shares—Our dual-class ordinary share structure with different voting rights could
discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.” Upon
the conversion of all the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares as at January 31, 2022 into Class A ordinary shares, our company would issue
559,300,320 Class A ordinary shares, representing approximately 20.2% the total number of issued and outstanding Class A ordinary shares as at
January 31, 2022 (without taking into account any allotment and issuance of Shares pursuant to the exercise of options or the vesting of share awards
that have been or may be granted from time to time and any issuance or repurchase of Shares and/or ADSs that we may make).
Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. If at any time Robin Yanhong Li and
his Affiliates (as defined in our articles of association) collectively own less than 5% of the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B Ordinary
Shares, each issued and outstanding Class B Ordinary Share shall be automatically and immediately converted into one Class A ordinary share, and no
Class B Ordinary Shares shall be issued by our company thereafter.
Class B ordinary shares shall also be automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares:
(1)
(2)
upon any sale, pledge, transfer, assignment or disposition of such Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereto to any person or entity which
is not an Affiliate (as defined in our articles of association) of such holder; or
where, within 6 months after by a transfer by a holder of Class B ordinary shares to an Affiliate of such holder, there is a change of the
beneficial ownership of the Class B ordinary shares held by the Affiliate.
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Apart from the aforementioned (1) and (2), a change in the beneficial ownership of Class B ordinary shares shall not cause a conversion of
Class B ordinary shares to Class A ordinary shares.
As at January 31, 2022, WVR beneficiaries were the following:
Robin Yanhong Li
Melissa Ma
Shimoda Holdings, LLC(1)
Integrity Partners V, LLC(2)
Total
Number of
Class A
Ordinary
Shares
17,664,568
296,080
4,000,000
—
18,460,648
Number of
Class B
Ordinary
Shares
439,200,000
116,000,000
4,000,000
100,320
559,300,320
Approximate
percentage
of voting
rights(3)
56.5%
14.9%
0.6%
0.0%
72.0%
Notes:
(1)
(2)
Shimoda Holdings, LLC (“Shimoda”) holds 500,000 ADSs and 4,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of our company. Shimoda is affiliated with an
early stage investor of our company that invested in our company before its US IPO in 2005.
Integrity Partners V, LLC (“Integrity”) holds 100,320 Class B ordinary shares of our company and was not a record shareholder of any Class A
ordinary shares as at January 31, 2022. Integrity is affiliated with an early stage investor of our company that invested in our company before its
US IPO in 2005.
(3) On the basis that Class A ordinary shares entitle the Shareholder to one vote per share and Class B ordinary shares entitle the Shareholder to 10
votes per share.
Mr. Robin Yanhong Li, the chairman and chief executive officer of our company, owns shares in his personal capacity and through Handsome
Reward Limited. Ms. Melissa Ma is the spouse of Mr. Li and holds shares in her personal capacity. To the best knowledge of our company, each of
Shimoda and Integrity and their respective ultimate beneficial owners are independent third parties of and are not core connected persons of our
company, and their respective ultimate beneficial owners do not have a role in our company’s business and operations.
Item 7.
Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
A. Major Shareholders
Please refer to “Item 6.E. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Share Ownership.”
B.
Related Party Transactions
See “Item 4.C. Information on the Company—Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with Our Consolidated Affiliated Entities and
the Nominee Shareholders.”
Our subsidiaries, consolidated affiliated entities, and the subsidiaries of the consolidated affiliated entities have engaged, during the ordinary
course of business, in a number of customary transactions with each other. All of these inter-company balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business Industry— Termination or other changes of related party
transactions in the ordinary course of business may have an adverse impact on our results of operations and financial performance” for risks associated
with the termination or other changes of related party transactions.
Amounts due from related parties
As of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, we had RMB5.2 billion, RMB4.2 billion and RMB4.9 billion (US$762 million), respectively, due from
related parties.
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Amounts due to related parties
As of December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, we had RMB6.1 billion, RMB4.9 billion and RMB5.0 billion (US$790 million), respectively, due to
related parties.
Loan transactions with Du Xiaoman
In August 2018, we completed the divestiture of Du Xiaoman, following which we recognized our non-controlling equity interest in Du Xiaoman
as an equity method investment and Du Xiaoman became a related party.
In 2018, we provided three term loans to Du Xiaoman in an aggregate amount of RMB3.8 billion with terms ranging from two to five years for
working capital purposes. These loans bear interest rates ranging from 4.28% to 5.00% in 2018, and 0% to 5.00% since 2019. Du Xiaoman repaid one
term loan in the principal amount of RMB500 million in October 2020. The aggregate principal amount outstanding as of February 28, 2022 was
RMB3.3 billion (US$525 million).
In 2018, Du Xiaoman provided us with two term loans in the an aggregate amount of RMB3.4 billion with terms of three and five years,
respectively, for general corporate purposes. The interest rates for these loans were 3.78% and 4.28%, respectively, in 2018, and have been adjusted to
0% since 2019 based on the amended agreements. The aggregate principal amount outstanding as of February 28, 2022 was RMB3.1 billion
(US$487 million).
Other related party transactions
Related Party A
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, related partry transactions with Related Party A, which is one of our equity investees were in the total amount of
RMB627 million, RMB204 million and RMB315 million (US$49 million), respectively, and mainly comprised the online marketing services that we
provided to Related Party A.
Related Party B
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, related party transactions with Related Party B, which is one of our equity investees were in the total amount of
RMB731 million, RMB678 million and RMB888 million (US$139 million), respectively, and comprised the online marketing services, cloud service
and other services that we provided to Related Party B.
Related Party C
In 2019, related party transactions with Related Party C, which is another of our equity investees, mainly related to hardware products purchased
from and sold to the equity investee, were in the total amount of RMB1.9 billion and RMB249 million, respectively, in 2019. We acquired the party in
July 2020, and accordingly, all corresponding outstanding balances have been eliminated in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2021.
The transaction amounts with the related party in 2020 were insignificant.
Related Party D
In 2021, related party transactions with Related Party D, over which we can significantly influence its management or operating policies, mainly
related to content purchased from and online marketing services sold to the party, which amounted to RMB51 million (US$8 million) and
RMB2.0 billion (US$312 million), respectively.
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Other related parties
In 2019, 2020 and 2021, with the approval from our board of directors, we reimbursed Mr. Robin Yanhong Li the fees and expenses incurred in
connection with his use of an aircraft beneficially owned by his family member for our business purposes. The hourly rate for use of the aircraft was
determined based on an analysis of market rates for the charter of comparable aircrafts. The service charges for the use of the aircraft for 2019, 2020 and
2021 were insignificant.
Share Options and Restricted Shares Grants
Please refer to “Item 6.B. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation.”
C.
Interests of Experts and Counsel
Not applicable.
Item 8.
Financial Information
A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information
We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual report.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we have been involved in litigation, administrative proceedings or other disputes regarding, among other things, copyright and
trademark infringement, defamation, unfair competition, labor disputes, and anti-monopoly inquiries. Our search results provide links to materials, and
our P4P, Baidu Wenku, Baidu Post, Baidu Wiki, Baidu Knows, Baidu Feed, Baidu Drive, iQIYI and certain other products or services may contain
materials, in which others may allege to own copyrights, trademarks or image rights or which others may claim to be defamatory or objectionable.
In 2021, 3,419 complaints were filed against us before various courts in China, and the aggregate amount of the damages sought in these
complaints totals approximately RMB1.0 billion (US$159 million). As of December 31, 2021, 2,722 cases against us were pending before various
courts in China. The aggregate amount of damages sought under these pending cases is approximately RMB1.1 billion (US$166 million). As of
December 31, 2021, 5 cases against us were pending before various courts outside China. Some of these proceedings are in a preliminary stage with
undetermined damages sought.
In November 2018, an individual, together with his related company, filed a complaint alleging acts of defamation and libel, commercial
disparagement, tortious inference with prospective business relations, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy against, among
others, us and Robin Yanhong Li in his capacity as our chairman and chief executive officer, in the Supreme Court of New York. The complaint alleged,
among other things, that the defendants published articles containing false and defamatory statements concerning the plaintiffs, and sought damages in
an aggregate amount of US$11 billion, including purported punitive damages of US$10 billion. The defendants moved the complaint to the U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of New York and filed motions to dismiss the complaint. The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed that complaint, and then
added us and Mr. Li as defendants to the Second State Court Lawsuit. We filed motions to dismiss that complaint, which were not opposed. The Plaintiff
filed a notice of voluntary discontinuance of the complaint in the Second State Court Lawsuit, and subsequently filed a nearly identical complaint in the
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In January 2020, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York dismissed that
complaint in its entirety with prejudice, and the time for plaintiff to appeal that dismissal has expired. In February 2020, the Supreme Court of New York
granted defendants’ motions to discontinue the Second State Court Lawsuit with prejudice. No appeal of that order has been filed to date. We believe
these claims to be without merit and intend to continue to defend ourselves vigorously.
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Separately, in April 2020, we and certain of our current and former officers were named as defendants in a federal putative securities class action
captioned Ikeda v. Baidu Inc., et al., No. 5:20-cv-02768-LHK (U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Amended Complaint filed
Sept. 18, 2020) alleging, in sum and substance, that our disclosures were materially false or misleading as they misrepresented Baidu’s ability to monitor
and filter illicit or improper content on its platform, and failed to disclose alleged investigations and violations of PRC regulatory requirements relating
to the monitoring or filtering of illicit or improper content online. The case alleges claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and
Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. In April 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted defendants’ motion to dismiss
in its entirety, and in May 2021, plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed this action in its entirety with prejudice.
For many of the above-mentioned legal proceedings, we are currently unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably
possible loss as the proceedings are in the early stages, or there is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific
complaints among different jurisdictions. As a result, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such proceedings,
which includes eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any, and therefore, an estimate for the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably
possible loss cannot be made. With respect to the limited number of proceedings for which we are able to estimate the reasonably possible loss or the
range of reasonably possible loss, such estimates are immaterial. However, we believe that such proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, when
finally resolved, are not reasonably likely to have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.
In April 2020, a short seller report was published by Wolfpack Research (the Wolfpack Report). In sum and substance, the Wolfpack Report
alleges that iQIYI inflated its user numbers, inflated its revenue and deferred revenue in connection with certain parts of iQIYI’s business, inflated its
expenses and the purchase prices of certain assets to conceal revenue inflation, and provided misleading financial statements of cash flows by adopting
an incorrect accounting method. Following the publication of the Wolfpack Report, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement requested iQIYI to produce
certain financial, operating, and other documents and records primarily related to the allegations in the Wolfpack Report. In particular, the SEC
requested that iQIYI voluntarily provide it with documents and information relating to, among other things, iQIYI’s organizational charts, accounting
policies, and financial books and records from 2018 to 2020, as well as documents relating to iQIYI’s acquisition or investments in certain entities
mentioned in the Wolfpack Report and the valuation of those entities at the time of those transactions. iQIYI engaged professional advisers to conduct
an internal review into certain of the key allegations in the Wolfpack Report and to report their findings to iQIYI’s audit committee. iQIYI’s internal
review within the agreed scope has been substantially completed and did not uncover any evidence that would substantiate the allegations in the
Wolfpack Report. The SEC has also sought the production of certain documents and records from iQIYI related to such internal review and other related
information. iQIYI has been cooperating with the SEC. We are unable to predict the timing, outcome, or consequences of the SEC investigation of
iQIYI, or from the SEC’s review of the documents and records requested from iQIYI.
Furthermore, starting in April 2020, iQIYI and certain of its current and former officers and directors were named as defendants in four federal
putative securities class actions alleging that they made material misstatements and omissions in documents filed with the SEC regarding certain of the
key allegations contained in the Wolfpack Report. In June 2020, one of the complaints (captioned Shiferaw v. iQIYI, Inc. et al., No. 1: 2020-cv-03115)
was voluntarily dismissed by Plaintiffs. In May 2021, the remaining complaints were consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of
New York under the caption In re iQIYI, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 1:20-CV-01830. In June 2021, lead plaintiffs in the consolidated action filed the
consolidated amended complaint, naming iQIYI, its current and former officers, underwriters in its initial public offering, our company and certain of
our officers as defendants. The consolidated amended complaint alleges that defendants made material misstatements and omissions in documents filed
with the SEC and in other public statements regarding certain of the key allegations contained in the Wolfpack Report, in violation of Sections 11 and 15
of the Securities Act of 1933, Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and
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Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder. The parties completed briefing on defendants’ motions to dismiss the consolidated amended complaint on
September 29, 2021, and a decision is currently pending. This action otherwise remains in its preliminary stage.
Starting in August 2020, we and certain of our current officers were named as defendants in two federal putative securities class actions captioned
Alagappan v. Baidu Inc., et al., No. 1:20-cv-03794 (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, filed Aug. 19, 2020) and Nampally v.
Baidu Inc., et al., No. 1:20-cv-04430 (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, filed Sept. 21, 2020), alleging that defendants made
material misstatements and omissions in documents filed with the SEC regarding certain of the key allegations contained in the Wolfpack Report. Both
cases allege claims under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder and remain in their preliminary stages.
We and iQIYI will have to defend against these putative securities class action lawsuits, as applicable, including any appeals of such lawsuits
should our or iQIYI’s initial defense be unsuccessful. Because all of the ongoing securities class actions against iQIYI or us are in their preliminary
stages, we cannot predict the timing, outcome or consequences of these class actions. In the event that our or iQIYI’s initial defense of these lawsuits is
unsuccessful, we cannot assure you that we or iQIYI will prevail in any appeal. Any adverse outcome of these cases, including any plaintiff’s appeal of
a judgment in these lawsuits, could have a material adverse effect on our or iQIYI’s business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows, and
reputation. Similarly, we are currently unable to predict the timing, outcome, or consequences of the SEC investigation of iQIYI, or from the SEC’s
review of the documents and records requested from iQIYI. The litigation or SEC investigation process may utilize a significant portion of our or
iQIYI’s resources and divert management’s attention from the day-to-day operations, all of which could harm our business.
Dividend Policy
Baidu, Inc., our holding company in the Cayman Islands, has never declared or paid any dividends on our ordinary shares, nor do we have any
present plan to pay any cash dividends on our ordinary shares in the foreseeable future. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available
funds and any future earnings to operate and expand our business.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to Cayman Islands law. In addition, our shareholders
may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Under Cayman Islands law, a
Cayman Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if
this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides
to pay dividends, the form, frequency and amount of our dividends will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and
surplus, financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant. If we pay any dividends, our
depositary will distribute such dividends to our ADS holders to the same extent as holders of our ordinary shares, subject to the terms of the deposit
agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. Cash dividends on our ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.
B.
Significant Changes
Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated
financial statements included in this annual report.
Item 9.
The Offer and Listing
A. Offering and Listing Details
Our ADSs have been listed on The Nasdaq Global Market since August 5, 2005. Our ADSs currently trade on The Nasdaq Global Select Market
under the symbol “BIDU.” Prior to May 12, 2010, one ADS represented
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one Class A ordinary share. On May 12, 2010, we effected a change of the ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 1 ADS representing 1 Class A
ordinary share to 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share. The ratio change has the same effect as a 10-for-1 ADS split. On March 1, 2021, our
shareholders approved and effected a change to our authorized share capital by 1-to-80 subdivision of shares. Concurrently, we effected a proportionate
change in ADS to Class A ordinary share ratio from 10 ADSs representing 1 Class A ordinary share to each ADS representing 8 Class A ordinary shares.
Our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since March 23, 2021 under the stock code “9888”.
B.
Plan of Distribution
Not applicable.
C. Markets
Our ADSs have been listed on Nasdaq since August 5, 2005 under the symbol “BIDU”.
Our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since March 23, 2021 under the stock code “9888”.
D.
Selling Shareholders
Not applicable.
E.
Dilution
Not applicable.
F.
Expenses of the Issue
Not applicable.
Item 10.
Additional Information
A.
Share Capital
Not applicable.
B. Memorandum and Articles of Association
The following are summaries of material provisions of our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as well as the
Companies Act (As Revised) insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares.
Registered Office and Objects
The Registered Office of our company is at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman,
KY1-1104, Cayman Islands or at such other place as our board of directors may from time to time decide. The objects for which our company is
established are unrestricted and we have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Act (As Revised), as amended
from time to time, or any other law of the Cayman Islands.
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Board of Directors
See “Item 6.C. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Board Practices—Board of Directors.”
Ordinary Shares
General. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of Class A ordinary shares and
Class B ordinary shares have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. All of our issued and outstanding ordinary shares are fully paid
and non-assessable. Certificates representing the ordinary shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are nonresidents of the Cayman
Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.
Dividends. The holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors subject to the
Companies Act.
Conversion. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares
are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon any transfer of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person
or entity which is not an affiliate of such holder (as defined in our articles of association), such Class B ordinary shares shall be automatically and
immediately converted into the equal number of Class A ordinary shares. In addition, if at any time our chairman and chief executive officer, Robin
Yanhong Li, and his affiliates collectively own less than 5% of the total number of the issued and outstanding Class B ordinary shares, each issued and
outstanding Class B ordinary share shall be automatically and immediately converted into one share of Class A ordinary share, and we shall not issue
any Class B ordinary shares thereafter.
Voting Rights. All of our shareholders have the right to receive notice of shareholders’ meetings and to attend, speak and vote at such meetings. In
respect of matters requiring shareholders’ vote, each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B ordinary share is entitled to 10
votes. A shareholder may participate at a shareholders’ meeting in person, by proxy or by telephone conference or other communications equipment by
means of which all the shareholders participating in the meeting can communicate with each other. At any shareholders’ meeting, a resolution put to the
vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll conducted by the chairman of the meeting.
A quorum for a shareholders’ meeting consists of one or more shareholders holding at least one third of the paid up voting share capital present in
person or by proxy or, if a corporation or other non-natural person, by its duly authorized representative. We shall hold a general meeting of shareholders
as our annual general meeting and shall specify the meeting as such in the notices calling it. Our board of directors may call extraordinary general
meetings, and they must on shareholders’ requisition convene an extraordinary general meeting. A shareholder requisition is a requisition of
shareholders holding at the date of deposit of the requisition not less than ten percent (10%) of the voting power represented by the issued shares of our
company which as at that date carries the right of voting at general meetings of our company, on a one vote per share basis. Advance notice of at least 14
calendar days is required for the convening of our annual general meeting and other shareholders’ meetings.
An ordinary resolution to be passed by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary
shares cast in a general meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than two-thirds of the votes attaching to the ordinary
shares cast in a general meeting. A special resolution is required for matters such as a change of name. Holders of the ordinary shares may effect certain
changes by ordinary resolution, including consolidating and dividing all or any of our share capital into shares of larger amount than our existing share
capital and canceling any shares.
Transfer of Shares. Subject to the restrictions of our memorandum and articles of association, as applicable, any of our shareholders may transfer
any or all of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors.
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Our board of directors may, in their absolute discretion (except with respect to a transfer from a shareholder to its affiliate(s)), decline to register
any transfer of shares without assigning any reason thereof. If our board of directors refuses to register a transfer they shall notify the transferee within
two months of such refusal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a transfer complies with the holder’s transfer obligations and restrictions set forth under
applicable law (including but not limited to U.S. securities law provisions related to insider trading) and our articles of association, our board of
directors shall promptly register such transfer. Further, any director is authorized to confirm in writing addressed to the registered office to authorize a
share transfer and to instruct that the register of members be updated accordingly; provided that the transfer complies with the holder’s transfer
obligations and restrictions set forth under applicable law and our articles of association and such holder is not the director who authorizes the transfer or
an entity affiliated with such director. Any director is authorized to execute a share certificate in respect of such shares for and on behalf of our
company.
The registration of transfers may be suspended at such time and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine;
provided, however, that the registration of transfers shall not be suspended for more than 45 days in any year.
Liquidation. On a return of capital on winding up or otherwise (other than on conversion, redemption or purchase of shares), assets available for
distribution among the holders of ordinary shares may be distributed among the holders of the ordinary shares as determined by the liquidator, subject to
sanction of a special resolution of our company. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, the assets will
be distributed so that the losses are borne by our shareholders proportionately to the capital paid up, or which ought to have been paid up, at the
commencement of the winding up on the shares held by such shareholders respectively.
Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on
their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called
upon and remain unpaid on the specified time are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption of Shares. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and our articles of association, we may issue shares on terms that are
subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner as our board of directors may determine.
Repurchase of Shares. Subject to the provisions of the Companies Act and our articles of association, our board of directors may authorize
repurchase of our shares in accordance with the manner of purchase specified in our articles of association without seeking shareholder approval.
Variations of Rights of Shares. All or any of the special rights attached to any class of shares may, subject to the provisions of the Companies
Act, be varied either with the written consent of the holders of a majority of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution
passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Inspection of Books and Records. No holders of our ordinary shares who is not a director shall have any right of inspecting any of our accounts,
books or documents except as conferred by the Companies Act or authorized by the directors or by us in general meeting. However, we will make this
annual report, which contains our audited financial statements, available to shareholders and ADS holders. See “Item 10.H. Additional Information—
Documents on Display.”
Preferred Shares
Our board of directors has the authority, without shareholder approval, to issue up to a total of 800,000,000 preferred shares in one or more series.
Our board of directors may establish the number of shares to be included
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in each such series and may set the designations, preferences, powers and other rights of the shares of a series of preferred shares. While the issuance of
preferred shares provides us with flexibility in connection with possible acquisitions or other corporate purposes, it could, among other things, have the
effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change of control transaction and could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. We have no current
plan to issue any preferred shares.
C. Material Contracts
We have not entered into any material contracts other than in the ordinary course of business and other than those described in “Item 4.
Information on the Company” or elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F.
D.
Exchange Controls
See “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.”
E.
Taxation
The following summary of the material Cayman Islands, People’s Republic of China and U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment
in our ADSs or ordinary shares is based upon laws and relevant interpretations thereof in effect as of the date of this annual report, all of which are
subject to change. This summary does not deal with all possible tax consequences relating to an investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares, such as the
tax consequences under state, local and other tax laws.
Cayman Islands Tax Considerations
According to Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our Cayman Islands counsel, the Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or
corporations based upon profits, income, gains or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other
taxes likely to be material to us levied by the Government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties which may be applicable on instruments
executed in, or brought within, the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are applicable to
any payments made to or by our company. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.
People’s Republic of China Tax Considerations
If we are considered a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, our shareholders and ADS holders who are deemed non-resident enterprises
may be subject to the 10% EIT on the dividends payable by us or any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs, if such income is deemed
derived from China; provided that (i) such foreign enterprise investor has no establishment or premises in China, or (ii) it has establishment or premises
in China but its income derived from China has no real connection with such establishment or premises. Furthermore, if we are considered a PRC
resident enterprise and relevant PRC tax authorities consider the dividends we pay with respect to our shares or ADSs and the gains realized from the
transfer of our shares or ADSs to be income derived from sources within the PRC, it is also possible that such dividends and gains earned by
non-resident individuals may be subject to the 20% PRC individual income tax. It is uncertain whether, if we are considered a PRC resident enterprise,
holders of our shares or ADSs would be able to claim the benefit of tax treaties or arrangements entered into between China and other jurisdictions.
If we are required under the PRC tax law to withhold PRC income tax on our dividends payable to our non-PRC resident shareholders and ADS
holders, or if any gains realized from the transfer of our shares or ADSs by our non-PRC resident shareholders and ADS holders are subject to the EIT
or the individual income tax, your investment in our shares or ADSs could be materially and adversely affected.
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following discussion is a summary of U.S. federal income tax considerations under present law of the ownership and disposition of the ADSs
or ordinary shares. This summary applies only to investors that are U.S. Holders (as defined below) and that hold the ADSs or ordinary shares as capital
assets. This discussion is based on the tax laws of the United States as in effect on the date of this annual report on Form 20-F and on U.S. Treasury
regulations in effect or, in some cases, proposed, as of the date of this annual report on Form 20-F, as well as judicial and administrative interpretations
thereof available on or before such date. All of the foregoing authorities are subject to change, which change could apply retroactively and could affect
the tax considerations described below.
The following discussion does not deal with the tax consequences to any particular investor or to persons in special tax situations such as:
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banks;
financial institutions;
insurance companies;
broker dealers;
persons that elect to mark their securities to market;
tax-exempt entities;
persons liable for the alternative minimum tax;
regulated investment companies;
certain expatriates or former long-term residents of the United States;
governments or agencies or instrumentalities thereof;
persons holding an ADS or ordinary share as part of a straddle, hedging, conversion or integrated transaction;
persons that actually or constructively own ADSs or ordinary shares representing 10% or more of our stock (by vote or value);
persons who are required to recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than when such income is taken into account
in applicable financial statements;
persons whose functional currency is other than the U.S. dollar; or
persons who acquired our ADSs or ordinary shares pursuant to the exercise of any employee share option or otherwise as compensation.
U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors about the application of the U.S. federal tax rules to their particular circumstances as well
as the state, local and foreign tax consequences to them of ownership and disposition of our ADSs or ordinary shares.
The discussion below of the U.S. federal income tax consequences will apply if you are a “U.S. Holder.” You are a “U.S. Holder” if you are the
beneficial owner of our ADSs or ordinary shares and you are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes,
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a citizen or individual resident of the United States;
a corporation (or other entity subject to tax as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that is created or organized in or under
the laws of the United States, any State or the District of Columbia;
an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or
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a trust that (i) is subject to the supervision of a court within the United States and the control of one or more U.S. persons or (ii) has a valid
election in effect under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations to be treated as a U.S. person.
This discussion does not consider the tax treatment of partnerships or other pass-through entities that hold the ADSs or ordinary shares, or of
persons who hold the ADSs or ordinary shares through such entities. If a partnership (or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income
tax purposes) is the beneficial owner of the ADSs or ordinary shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally
depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership.
The discussion below assumes that the representations contained in the deposit agreement are true and that the obligations in the deposit
agreement and any related agreement will be complied with in accordance with their terms. If you hold our ADSs, you will be treated as the holder of
the underlying ordinary shares represented by those ADSs for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
This discussion does not address any aspect of U.S. federal non-income tax laws, such as gift or estate tax laws, or state, local or foreign tax laws
or the Medicare tax on certain net investment income. The IRS may disagree with the discussion herein, and its determination may be upheld by a court.
Taxation of Dividends and Other Distributions on the ADSs or Ordinary Shares
Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, the gross amount of all our distributions to you with respect to the
ADSs or ordinary shares will be included in your gross income as dividend income on the date of receipt by the depositary, in the case of our ADSs, or
by you, in the case of ordinary shares, but only to the extent that the distribution is paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits
(computed under U.S. federal income tax principles). Because we do not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of U.S. federal income
tax principles, any distribution paid will generally be treated as a “dividend” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by us will not be
eligible for the dividends-received deduction allowed to corporations in respect of dividends received from U.S. corporations.
With respect to non-corporate U.S. Holders (including individual U.S. Holders), dividends may be taxed at the lower applicable capital gains rate
provided that (i) the ADSs or ordinary shares are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States or we are eligible for the
benefit of the income tax treaty between the United States and the PRC, or the Treaty, (ii) we are not a passive foreign investment company (as
discussed below) for either our taxable year in which the dividend was paid or for the preceding taxable year, (iii) certain holding period requirements
are met and (iv) such non-corporate U.S. Holders are not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar
or related property. For this purpose, ADSs listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market will generally be considered to be readily tradable on an
established securities market in the United States. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the availability of the lower rate for dividends paid with
respect to our ADSs or ordinary shares.
For U.S. foreign tax credit purposes, dividends paid on the ADSs or ordinary shares will generally be treated as income from foreign sources and
will generally constitute passive category income. If PRC withholding taxes apply to dividends paid to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares,
you may be able to obtain a reduced rate of PRC withholding taxes under the Treaty. In addition, subject to certain conditions and limitations, PRC
withholding taxes on dividends that are non-refundable under the Treaty may be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against your U.S. federal
income tax liability. If you do not elect to claim a foreign tax credit, you may instead claim a deduction for U.S. federal income tax purposes in respect
of such withholding, but only for a year in which you elect to do so for all creditable foreign income taxes. You should consult your tax advisor
regarding the creditability of any PRC tax.
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Sale, Exchange or Other Disposition of the ADSs or Ordinary Shares
Subject to the passive foreign investment company rules discussed below, you will recognize gain or loss on any sale, exchange or other taxable
disposition of an ADS or ordinary share equal to the difference between the amount realized for the ADS or ordinary share and your tax basis in the
ADS or ordinary share. The gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss. If you are a non-corporate U.S. Holder, including an individual U.S.
Holder, who has held the ADS or ordinary share for more than one year, you will generally be eligible for reduced tax rates. The deductibility of capital
losses is subject to limitations. Any such gain or loss that you recognize will generally be treated as U.S. source income or loss for foreign tax credit
limitation purposes, which will generally limit the availability of foreign tax credits. However, in the event we are deemed to be a PRC “resident
enterprise” under PRC tax law, we may be eligible for the benefits of the Treaty. In such event, if PRC tax were to be imposed on any gain from the
disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, a U.S. Holder that is eligible for the benefits of the Treaty may elect to treat such gain as PRC source
income. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the creditability of any PRC tax.
Passive Foreign Investment Company
A non-U.S. corporation, such as our own, is considered a PFIC for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income is passive income,
or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets during a taxable year) is attributable to assets that
produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). We will be treated as owning our proportionate share of the assets and
earning our proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the shares.
Although the law in this regard is not entirely clear, we treat our variable interest entities as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes
because we control their management decisions and we are entitled to receive economic benefits that could potentially be significant to them and, as a
result, we consolidate their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the
owner of our variable interest entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would likely be treated as a PFIC for our current taxable year and for
subsequent taxable years.
Assuming that we are the owner of the VIE for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and based on the market price of our ADSs and ordinary shares,
the value of our assets, and the composition of our assets and income, we believe that we were not a PFIC for our taxable year ended December 31,
2021. and do not anticipate becoming a PFIC in the current taxable year or in the foreseeable future. While we do not anticipate being or becoming a
PFIC in the current or foreseeable taxable years, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we will be or become a
PFIC is a factual determination made annually that will depend, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market price
of our ordinary shares and/or ADSs may cause us to be classified as a PFIC for the current or future taxable years because the value of our assets for
purposes of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of
our ordinary shares and/or ADSs from time to time (which may be volatile). If our market capitalization subsequently declines, we may be or become
classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year or future taxable years. Furthermore, the composition of our income and assets may also be affected by
how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets. Under circumstances where our revenue from activities that produce passive income significantly
increase relative to our revenue from activities that produce non-passive income, or where we determine not to deploy significant amounts of cash for
active purposes, our risk of becoming classified as a PFIC may substantially increase.
If we are a PFIC for any year during which you hold the ADSs or ordinary shares, we will generally continue to be treated as a PFIC for all
succeeding years during which you hold such ADSs or ordinary shares. However, if we cease to be a PFIC, you may avoid some of the adverse effects
of the PFIC regime by making a deemed sale election with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares, as applicable, provided that you have not made a
mark-to-market election, as described below
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If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold our ADSs or ordinary shares, you will be subject to special tax rules with respect to
any “excess distribution” that you receive and any gain you realize from a sale or other disposition (including a pledge under proposed regulations) of
the ADSs or ordinary shares, unless you make a mark-to-market election as discussed below. Distributions you receive in a taxable year that are greater
than 125% of the average annual distributions you received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the ADSs
or ordinary shares will be treated as an excess distribution. Under these special tax rules:
•
•
•
the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over your holding period for the ADSs or ordinary shares,
the amount allocated to the current taxable year, and any taxable year prior to the first taxable year in which we became a PFIC, will be
treated as ordinary income, and
the amount allocated to each of the other taxable years would be subject to tax at the highest rate of tax in effect for you for such year and
would be increased by an additional tax equal to interest on the resulting tax deemed deferred with respect to each such other taxable year.
The tax liability for amounts allocated to years prior to the year of disposition or “excess distribution” cannot be offset by any net operating losses
for such years, and gains (but not losses) realized on the sale of the ADSs or ordinary shares cannot be treated as capital, even if you hold the ADSs or
ordinary shares as capital assets.
Alternatively, a U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” (as defined below) in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election for such stock of a PFIC to
elect out of the tax treatment discussed in the two preceding paragraphs. The mark-to-market election is available only for “marketable stock,” which is
stock that is traded in other than de minimis quantities on at least 15 days during each calendar quarter, or “regularly traded,” on a qualified exchange or
other market, as defined in applicable Treasury regulations. Our ADSs, but not our ordinary shares, are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market,
which is a qualified exchange for these purposes. Our ordinary shares are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is expected to meet the
requirements of a qualified exchange or market for these purposes. We anticipate that our ADSs and ordinary shares should qualify as being regularly
traded, but no assurances may be given in this regard. Assuming that the ADSs and ordinary shares are regularly traded, if you are a holder of our ADSs
or ordinary shares, it is expected that the mark-to-market election would be available to you were we to become a PFIC. If you make a valid
mark-to-market election for the ADSs or ordinary shares, you will include in income each year an amount equal to the excess, if any, of the fair market
value of the ADSs as of the close of your taxable year over your adjusted basis in such ADSs or ordinary shares. You are allowed a deduction for the
excess, if any, of the adjusted basis of the ADSs or ordinary shares over their fair market value as of the close of the taxable year. Such deductions,
however, are allowable only to the extent of any net mark-to-market gains on the ADSs or ordinary shares included in your income for prior taxable
years. Amounts included in your income under a mark-to-market election, as well as gain on the actual sale or other disposition of the ADSs or ordinary
shares, are treated as ordinary income. Ordinary loss treatment also applies to the deductible portion of any mark-to-market loss on the ADSs or
ordinary shares, as well as to any loss realized on the actual sale or disposition of the ADSs or ordinary shares, to the extent that the amount of such loss
does not exceed the net mark-to-market gains previously included for such ADSs. Your basis in the ADSs or ordinary shares will be adjusted to reflect
any such income or loss amounts. If you make such a mark-to-market election, tax rules that apply to distributions by corporations which are not PFICs
would apply to distributions by us (except that the lower applicable capital gains rate would not apply).
Because, as a technical matter, a mark-to-market election cannot be made for any lower-tier PFICs that we may own, a U.S. Holder may continue
to be subject to the general PFIC rules described above with respect to such U.S. Holder’s indirect interest in any investments held by us that are treated
as an equity interest in a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
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Alternatively, a U.S. Holder may avoid the PFIC tax consequences described above in respect to its ADSs and ordinary shares by making a timely
“qualified electing fund,” or QEF, election. To comply with the requirements of a QEF election, a U.S. Holder must receive certain information from us.
Because we do not intend to provide such information, however, such election will not be available to you with respect to the ADSs or ordinary shares.
If you hold our ADSs or ordinary shares in any year in which we are a PFIC, you will be required to file an annual information report containing
such information as the U.S. Treasury may require.
You are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the application of the PFIC rules to your investment in our ADSs or ordinary shares.
F.
Dividends and Paying Agents
Not applicable.
G.
Statement by Experts
Not applicable.
H. Documents on Display
We are subject to the periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act, and are required to file reports and other
information with the SEC. Specifically, we are required to file annually a Form 20-F within four months after the end of each fiscal year, which is
December 31. All information filed with the SEC can be obtained over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. As a foreign private issuer, we
are exempt from the rules under the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of quarterly reports and proxy statements, and officers,
directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange
Act.
We will furnish The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of our ADSs, with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations
and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other
reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports and communications
available to holders of ADSs and, upon our request, will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’
meeting received by the depositary from us.
In accordance with Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5250(d), we will post this annual report on Form 20-F on our website at http://ir.baidu.com. In
addition, we will provide hardcopies of our annual report free of charge to shareholders and ADS holders upon request.
I.
Subsidiary Information
Not applicable.
Item 11.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Interest Rate Risk
Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to excess cash invested in short-term instruments, long-term investments and bank facilities that
have a floating rate of interest.
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Investments in both fixed rate and floating rate interest earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. Fixed rate securities may have their
fair market value adversely impacted due to a rise in interest rates, while floating rate securities may produce less income than expected if interest rates
fall. Due in part to these factors, our future investment income may fall short of expectations due to changes in interest rates, or we may suffer losses in
principal if we have to sell securities which have declined in market value due to changes in interest rates. For example, as of December 31, 2021, we
had RMB143.2 billion (US$22.5 billion) short-term investments, with a weighted average duration of 0.5 year. A hypothetical one percentage point (100
basis-point) increase in interest rates would have resulted in a decrease of RMB563 million (US$88 million) in the fair value of our short-term
investments as of December 31, 2021. We have not been, and do not expect to be, exposed to material interest rate risks relating to our investment in
short-term instruments, and therefore have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage such interest risk exposure. Our exposure to interest
rate risk also arises from our bank facilities that have a floating rate of interest. The costs of floating rate borrowings may be affected by the fluctuations
in the interest rates. We manage this risk through the use of interest rate swap contracts. In connection with the loan facilities entered into in April 2021,
we entered into two interest rate swap agreements, which effectively convert the term loans from a variable interest rate to a fixed rate, thereby
managing our exposure to changes in market interest rates under the term loans. See “Item 5.B. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—
Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
Foreign Exchange Risk
Most of our revenues and costs are denominated in RMB, while a portion of our cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term financial
assets, long-term investments, long-term loans payable, notes payable and convertible senior notes are denominated in U.S. dollars. Any significant
revaluation of RMB against the U.S. dollar may materially affect our cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any
dividends payable on, our ADS in U.S. dollars. See “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China—
Fluctuation in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.” In addition, we
commenced operation in Japan in late 2007. To the extent we need to make capital injections into our Japan operation by converting U.S. dollars into
Japanese Yen, we will be exposed to the fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese Yen. We have not used any
derivative financial instruments to hedge exposure to foreign exchange risk. The value of your investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will
be affected by the exchange rate between U.S. dollar and Renminbi or Hong Kong dollar and Renminbi, as applicable, because the value of our business
is effectively denominated in RMB, while our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will be traded in U.S. dollars or Hong Kong dollars, as applicable.
The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The Renminbi has
fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy
may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.
To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would
have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the
purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or ADSs, repay indebtedness denominated in U.S. dollars, or for other business
purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amounts available to us.
As of December 31, 2021, we had RMB-denominated cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments of RMB166.3 billion,
and U.S. dollar-denominated cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments of US$3.5 billion. Assuming we had converted
RMB166.3billion into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate of RMB6.3726 for US$1.00 as of December 31, 2021, our U.S. dollar cash balance would have
been US$29.6 billion. If the RMB had depreciated by 10% against the U.S. dollar, our U.S. dollar cash balance
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would have been US$27 billion instead. In addition, we had U.S. dollar-denominated short-term borrowings, long-term loans payable (including current
portion), notes payable and convertible senior notes (including current portion) of US$12.6 billion as of December 31, 2021. A hypothetical 10%
increase in the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have resulted in an increase of RMB8.0 billion (US$1.3 billion) in the value of
our U.S. dollar-denominated short-term borrowings, long-term loans payable (including current portion), notes payable and convertible senior notes
(including current portion) as of December 31, 2021.
Item 12.
Description of Securities Other than Equity Securities
A. Debt Securities
Not applicable.
B. Warrants and Rights
Not applicable.
C. Other Securities
Not applicable.
D. American Depositary Shares
Fees and Charges Our ADS holders May Have to Pay
The Bank of New York Mellon is the depositary of our ADS program. A holder of ADSs may have to pay certain fees of The Bank of New York
Mellon, as depositary, and certain taxes, registration and transfer charges and fees and governmental charges and fees. The depositary collects fees for
delivery and surrender of ADSs directly from holders depositing shares or surrendering ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal or from intermediaries
acting for them. The depositary collects fees for making distributions to holders by deducting those fees from the amounts distributed or by selling a
portion of distributable property to pay the fees. The depositary may collect its annual fee for depositary services by deductions from cash distributions
or by directly billing holders or by charging the book-entry system accounts of participants acting for them. The depositary may generally refuse to
deliver ADSs or deposited shares or to forward any distributions until its fees for those services are paid. The Depositary’s Office is located at 240
Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286.
Persons depositing or withdrawing shares must pay:
US$5.00 or less per 100 ADSs (or portion thereof)
For:
•
Issuance of ADSs,
including
issuances resulting from a
distribution of shares or rights or other property
US$5.00 or less per 100 ADS (or portion thereof)
•
Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if
US$0.02 or less per ADS (or portion thereof)
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to
ADS holders had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance
of ADSs
US$0.02 or less per ADS (or portion thereof) per calendar year (to the extent
that a fee of $0.02 was not charged as a result of any cash distribution during
that calendar year)
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the deposit agreement terminates
Any cash distribution to ADS holders
Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited
securities which are distributed by the depositary to ADS holders
•
•
•
Depositary services
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Persons depositing or withdrawing shares must pay:
Expenses of the depositary
For:
•
Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided
Registration or transfer fees
•
•
in the deposit agreement)
Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars
Transfer and registration of shares on our share register to or from
the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or
withdraw shares
Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian have to
pay on any ADS or share underlying an ADS, for example, stock transfer
taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes
•
As necessary
Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the
deposited securities
•
As necessary
Fees and Other Payments Made by the Depositary to Us
The depositary has agreed to reimburse us annually. In 2022, we are expecting to receive certain insignificant amount of reimbursement from the
depositary.
Conversion between Class A ordinary shares and ADSs
Dealings and Settlement of Class A Ordinary Shares in Hong Kong
Our Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in board lots of 50 Class A ordinary shares on March 23,
2021. Dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are conducted in Hong Kong dollars.
The transaction costs of dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hong Kong Stock Exchange trading fee of 0.005% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to each of the buyer and seller;
Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, or SFC, transaction levy of 0.0027% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to
each of the buyer and seller;
trading tariff of HK$0.50 on each and every purchase or sale transaction. The decision on whether or not to pass the trading tariff onto
investors is at the discretion of brokers;
transfer deed stamp duty of HK$5.00 per transfer deed (if applicable), payable by the seller;
ad valorem stamp duty at a total rate of 0.2% of the value of the transaction, with 0.1% payable by each of the buyer and the seller;
stock settlement fee, which is currently 0.002% of the gross transaction value, subject to a minimum fee of HK$2.00 and a maximum fee
of HK$100.00 per side per trade;
brokerage commission, which is freely negotiable with the broker (other than brokerage commissions for IPO transactions which are
currently set at 1% of the subscription or purchase price and will be payable by the person subscribing for or purchasing the securities);
and
the Hong Kong share registrar will charge between HK$2.50 to HK$20.00, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may
from time to time be permitted under the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of ordinary shares from one registered owner to
another, each share certificate canceled or issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong.
Investors must settle their trades executed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange through their brokers directly or through custodians. For an investor
who has deposited his or her Class A ordinary shares in his or her stock
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account or in his or her designated CCASS participant’s stock account maintained with CCASS, settlement will be effected in CCASS in accordance
with the General Rules of CCASS and CCASS Operational Procedures in effect from time to time. For an investor who holds the physical certificates,
settlement certificates and the duly executed transfer forms must be delivered to his or her broker or custodian before the settlement date.
Conversion between Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong and ADSs
In connection with initial public offering of Class A ordinary shares in Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong IPO, we have established a branch register
of members in Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong share register, which will be maintained by our Hong Kong share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong
Investor Services Limited. Our principal register of members, or the Cayman share register, will continue to be maintained by our principal share
registrar, Maples Fund Services (Cayman) Limited.
All Class A ordinary shares offered in the Hong Kong IPO are registered on the Hong Kong share register in order to be listed and traded on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As described in further detail below, holders of Class A ordinary shares registered on the Hong Kong share register will be
able to deposit these ordinary shares into ADSs, and vice versa.
Depositing Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong for delivery of ADSs
An investor who holds Class A ordinary shares registered in Hong Kong and who intends to convert them to ADSs to trade on Nasdaq must
deposit or have his or her broker deposit the Class A ordinary shares with the depositary’s Hong Kong custodian, The Hong Kong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation Limited, Hong Kong, or the custodian, in exchange for ADSs.
A deposit of Class A ordinary shares trading in Hong Kong in exchange for ADSs involves the following procedures:
•
•
•
If Class A ordinary shares have been deposited with CCASS, the investor must transfer ordinary shares to the depositary’s account with the
custodian within CCASS by following the CCASS procedures for transfer and submit and deliver a duly completed and signed ADS
delivery form to the custodian via his or her broker.
If Class A ordinary shares are held outside CCASS, the investor must arrange for the registration of a transfer of his or her Class A
ordinary shares into the depositary’s name and delivery of evidence of that registration to the custodian, and must sign and deliver an ADS
delivery form to the depositary.
Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable, the
depositary will register the corresponding number of ADSs in the name(s) requested by an investor and will deliver the ADSs as instructed
in the ADS delivery form.
For Class A ordinary shares deposited in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided that
the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For Class A ordinary shares held outside CCASS in physical form, the above steps may take
14 business days, or more, to complete. Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed
to ADS issuances. The investor will be unable to trade the ADSs until the procedures are completed.
Surrender of ADSs for Delivery of Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong
An investor who holds ADSs and wishes to receive Class A ordinary shares that trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange must cancel the ADSs
the investor holds and withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program and cause his or her broker or other financial institution to trade such
Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
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An investor that holds ADSs indirectly through a broker or other financial institution should follow the procedure of the broker or financial
institution and instruct the broker to arrange for cancelation of the ADSs, and transfer of the underlying Class A ordinary shares from the depositary’s
account with the custodian within the CCASS system to the investor’s Hong Kong stock account.
For investors holding ADSs directly, the following steps must be taken:
•
•
•
To withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program, an investor who holds ADSs may turn in such ADSs at the office of the
depositary (and the applicable ADR(s) if the ADSs are held in certificated form), and send an instruction to cancel such ADSs to the
depositary. Those instructions must have a Medallion signature guarantee.
Upon payment or net of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable,
the depositary will instruct the custodian to deliver Class A ordinary shares underlying the canceled ADSs to the CCASS account
designated by an investor.
If an investor prefers to receive Class A ordinary shares outside CCASS, he or she must so indicate in the instruction delivered to the
depositary.
For Class A ordinary shares to be received in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided
that the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For Class A ordinary shares to be received outside CCASS in physical form, the above
steps may take 14 business days, or more, to complete. The investor will be unable to trade the Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange until the procedures are completed.
Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed to ADS cancellations. In addition,
completion of the above steps and procedures for delivery for Class A ordinary shares in a CCASS account is subject to there being a sufficient number
of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate a withdrawal from the ADS program directly into the CCASS system. We are
not under any obligation to maintain or increase the number of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate such withdrawals.
Depositary Requirements
Before the depositary delivers ADSs or permits withdrawal of Class A ordinary shares, the depositary may require:
•
•
production of satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and
compliance with procedures it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including completion and
presentation of transfer documents.
The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer, or register issuances, transfers and cancelations of ADSs generally when the transfer books of the
depositary or our Hong Kong share registrar are closed or at any time if the depositary or we determine it advisable to do so.
All costs attributable to the transfer of ordinary shares to effect a withdrawal from or deposit of Class A ordinary shares into our ADS program
will be borne by the investor requesting the transfer or deposit. In particular, holders of ordinary shares and ADSs should note that the Hong Kong share
registrar will charge between HK$2.50 to HK$20, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may from time to time be permitted under
the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of Class A ordinary shares from one registered owner to another, each share certificate canceled or
issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong. In addition, holders of ordinary shares and ADSs must pay
up to US$5.00 per
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100 ADSs (or portion thereof) for each issuance of ADSs and each cancelation of ADSs, as the case may be, in connection with the deposit of Class A
ordinary shares into, or withdrawal of ordinary shares from, the ADS facility.
Item 13.
Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
None.
PART II
Item 14.
Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 15.
Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has performed an evaluation of the effectiveness
of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report, as
required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act.
Based upon that evaluation, our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2021, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective
in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file and furnish under the Exchange Act was recorded, processed,
summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in the
reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and
chief financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rule 13a-15(f)
under the Exchange Act. Our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Rule 13a-15(c) of
the Exchange Act, based on criteria established in the framework in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over
financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. In addition, projections of
any evaluation of effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies and procedures may deteriorate.
Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, has audited the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, as stated in its report, which appears on page F-6 of this annual report on Form 20-F.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this annual report on Form 20-F
that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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Item 16A.
Audit Committee Financial Expert
Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Brent Callinicos, an independent director (under the standards set forth in Nasdaq Stock Market
Rule 5605(a)(2) and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act) and chairman of our audit committee, is an audit committee financial expert.
Item 16B.
Code of Ethics
In July 2005, our board of directors adopted a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers, employees and advisors.
We have posted a copy of our code of business conduct and ethics on our website at http://ir.baidu.com.
Item 16C.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by categories specified below in connection with certain professional services rendered by
Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP, our principal external auditors, for the periods indicated.
Audit fees(1)
Audit-related fees(2)
2020
(RMB in thousands)
33,526
5,546
2021
(RMB in thousands)
44,520
11,076
(1)
(2)
“Audit fees” means the aggregate fees billed in each of the fiscal years listed for professional services rendered by our principal auditors for the audit of our annual statements,
issuance of comfort letters in connection with our global offering and secondary listing of our shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, as well as assistance with and review of
documents filed with the SEC.
“Audit-related Fees” represents the aggregate fees billed in each of the fiscal years listed for the assurance and related services rendered by our principal auditors that are reasonably
related to the performance of the audit or review of our financial statements and not reported under “Audit Fees.”
All audit and non-audit services provided by our independent auditors must be pre-approved by our audit committee. Our audit committee has
adopted a combination of two approaches in pre-approving proposed services: general pre-approval and specific pre-approval. With general approval,
the engagement to render services is entered into pursuant to pre-approval policies and procedures established by the audit committee. The policies and
procedures are detailed as to the particular service (not broad categories), and the audit committee is informed of each specific service quarterly. With
specific approval, the audit committee pre-approves the specific engagement to be rendered. Unless a type of service has received general pre-approval,
it will require specific pre-approval by our audit committee. Any proposed services exceeding pre-approved cost levels or budgeted amounts will also
require specific pre-approval by our audit committee.
Requests or applications to provide services that require specific approval by our audit committee will be submitted to the audit committee by both
our independent auditors and our chief financial officer and must include an assessment as to whether, in their view, the request or application is
consistent with the SEC’s rules on auditor independence.
Item 16D.
Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Not applicable.
Item 16E.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
In May, 2020, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program, or the 2020 share repurchase program, under which we may
repurchase up to US$1.0 billion of our ADSs or shares, effective until July 1, 2021. In August, 2020, our board of directors approved a change to the
2020 share repurchase program,
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increasing the repurchase authorization from US$1.0 billion to US$3.0 billion and extending the effective time through December 31, 2022. In
December 2020, our board of directors approved a further increase in the repurchase authorization from US$3.0 billion to US$4.5 billion. The source of
funding for our share repurchase program is our offshore cash.
The table below is a summary of our repurchases in 2021, which were all conducted in the open market pursuant to the 2020 share repurchase
program, as amended.
Total
Number of
ADSs
Purchased
559,676
1,082,187
1,293,298
1,468,551
2,764,229
7,167,941
Average
Price
Paid Per
ADS
US$208.45
US$199.55
US$180.17
US$149.19
US$143.24
US$164.72
Total Number
of ADSs
Purchased as
Part of the
Publicly
Announced
Plan
559,676
1,082,187
1,293,298
1,468,551
2,764,229
7,167,941
Approximate
Dollar Value
of ADSs that May
Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plan
US$2,665,697,311
US$2,449,747,869
US$2,216,732,103
US$1,997,643,406
US$1,601,691,628
US$1,601,691,628
Period
April 1 – April 30, 2021
May 1 – May 31, 2021
July 1 – July 31, 2021
November 1 – November 30, 2021
December 1– December 31, 2021
Total
Item 16F.
Change in Registrant’s Certifying Accountant
Not applicable.
Item 16G.
Corporate Governance
Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5620 requires each issuer to hold an annual meeting of shareholders no later than one year after the end of the issuer’s
fiscal year-end. However, Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5615(a)(3) permits foreign private issuers like us to follow “home country practice” in certain
corporate governance matters. Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our Cayman Islands counsel, has provided a letter to the Nasdaq Stock Market
certifying that under Cayman Islands law, we are not required to hold annual shareholder meetings every year. We followed home country practice with
respect to annual general meetings and did not hold an annual general meeting of shareholders in 2021. However, pursuant to our fourth amended and
restated memorandum and articles of association passed on December 7, 2021, we shall hold an annual general meeting every year. In the third quarter
of 2018, our board of directors approved a 2018 share incentive plan. We relied on home country practice exemption and did not convene a shareholder
meeting to approve the 2018 share incentive plan. Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP, our Cayman Islands counsel, has provided a letter to the
Nasdaq Stock Market certifying that under Cayman Islands law, we are not required to obtain shareholder approval in respect of the adoption of a stock
option or other equity compensation arrangement, or an amendment to the stock option or other equity compensation plan.
Other than the practice described above, there are no significant differences between our corporate governance practices and those followed by
U.S. domestic companies under Nasdaq Stock Market Rules.
Item 16H.
Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable.
Item 16I.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
209
Table of Contents
Item 17.
Financial Statements
We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to Item 18.
PART III
Item 18.
Financial Statements
The consolidated financial statements of Baidu, Inc., its subsidiaries and its consolidated affiliated entities are included at the end of this annual
report.
Item 19.
Exhibits
Exhibit
Number
Description of Document
1.1
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
Fourth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1
of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 7, 2021)
Registrant’s Specimen American Depositary Receipt (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 of the prospectus filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on January 5, 2009 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) under the Securities Act)
Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Class A Ordinary Shares (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of Amendment No. 5 to our
Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 2, 2005)
Form of Deposit Agreement among the Registrant, the depositary and holder of the American Depositary Receipts (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.3 to our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 12, 2005)
Indenture dated November 28, 2012 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28, 2012)
First Supplemental Indenture dated November 28, 2012 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 28,
2012)
Form of 3.500% Notes due 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 28, 2012)
Second Supplemental Indenture dated August 6, 2013 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 6, 2013)
Third Supplemental Indenture dated June 9, 2014 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2014)
Fourth Supplemental Indenture dated June 30, 2015 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 2, 2015)
2.10
Form of 4.125% Notes due 2025 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 2, 2015)
210
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Exhibit
Number
2.11
2.12
2.13
2.14
2.15
2.16
2.17
2.18
2.19
2.20
2.21
2.22
2.23
2.24
2.25
2.26*
2.27*
2.28*
2.29
Description of Document
Fifth Supplemental Indenture dated July 6, 2017 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 7, 2017)
Form of 2.875% Notes due 2022 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 7, 2017)
Form of 3.625% Notes due 2027 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 7, 2017)
Sixth Supplemental Indenture dated March 29, 2018 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15,
2018)
Form of 3.875% Notes due 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 15, 2018)
Form of 4.375% Notes due 2028 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 15, 2018)
Seventh Supplemental Indenture dated November 14, 2018 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 15,
2018)
Form of 4.375% Notes due 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 15, 2018)
Form of 4.875% Notes due 2028 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 15, 2018)
Eighth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of April 7, 2020, between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 7, 2020)
Form of 3.075% Notes due 2025 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 7, 2020)
Form of 3.425% Notes due 2030 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 7, 2020)
Ninth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of October 9, 2020, between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 9, 2020)
Form of 1.72% Notes due 2026 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on October 9, 2020)
Form of 2.375% Notes due 2030 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on October 9, 2020)
Tenth Supplemental Indenture, dated as of August 23, 2021, between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee
Form of 1.625% Notes due 2027
Form of 2.375% Notes due 2031
Indenture dated December 4, 2018 between iQIYI, Inc. and Citicorp International Limited, as trustee, and form of 3.75% Notes due
2023 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.67 to iQIYI, Inc.’s annual report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-38431) filed with
the SEC on March 15, 2019)
211
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Exhibit
Number
2.30
Indenture dated March 29, 2019 between iQIYI, Inc. and Citicorp International Limited, as trustee, and form of 2.00% Notes due
2025 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.61 to iQIYI, Inc.’s annual report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-38431) filed with
the SEC on March 12, 2020)
Description of Document
2.31*
Description of Securities of the Registrant
2.32
2.33
2.34
2.35
2.36
2.37
Description of the Registrant’s US$750,000,000 3.50% Notes Due 2022 (incorporated herein by reference to (i) the section titled
“Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-184757) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on November 5, 2012 and (ii) the section titled “Description of the Notes” in the prospectus
supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 20, 2012 pursuant to
Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
Description of the Registrant’s US$750,000,000 3.00% Notes Due 2020 and US$500,000,000 4.13% Notes Due 2025 (incorporated
herein by reference to (i) the section titled “Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement on Form F-3
(File No. 333-184757) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 5, 2012 and (ii) the section titled
“Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on June 23, 2015 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
Description of the Registrant’s US$900,000,000 2.88% Notes Due 2022 and US$600,000,000 3.63% Notes Due 2027 (incorporated
herein by reference to (i) the section titled “Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement on Form F-3
(File No. 333-218972) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2017 and (ii) the section titled “Description
of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
June 28, 2017 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
Description of the Registrant’s US$1,000,000,000 3.88% Notes Due 2023 and US$500,000,000 4.38% Notes Due 2028
(incorporated herein by reference to (i) the section titled “Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement
on Form F-3 (File No. 333-218972) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2017 and (ii) the section titled
“Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 22, 2018 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
Description of the Registrant’s US$600,000,000 4.38% Notes Due 2024 and US$400,000,000 4.88% Notes Due 2028 (incorporated
herein by reference to (i) the section titled “Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement on Form F-3
(File No. 333-218972) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 26, 2017 and (ii) the section titled “Description
of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
November 8, 2018 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
Description of the Registrant’s US$300,000,000 1.625% Notes Due 2027 and US$700,000,000 2.375% Notes Due 2031
(incorporated herein by reference to (i) the section titled “Description of Debt Securities” in the Registrants’ registration statement
on Form F-3 (File No. 333-249314) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 5, 2020 and (ii) the section
titled “Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement, in the form filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on August 19, 2021 pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended)
212
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Exhibit
Number
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
4.10*
4.11*
4.12
4.13*
4.14*
Description of Document
2000 Option Plan (amended and restated effective December 16, 2008) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.3 of Form 6-K
furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 17, 2008)
2008 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on December 17, 2008)
Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and the Registrant’s directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3
of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12,
2005)
Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and an Executive Officer of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 10.4 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on July 12, 2005)
Translation of Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu
Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 of our Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)
Translation of Operating Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 99.4 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on July 12, 2005)
Translation of Software License Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 99.5 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on July 12, 2005)
Translation of Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated March 1, 2004 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom and the
supplementary agreement dated August 9, 2004 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.8 of our Registration Statement on Form
F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)
Translation of Proxy Agreement dated August 9, 2004 among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li and Eric Yong Xu
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.9 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)
English summary of the form of Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement/ Exclusive Business Cooperation
Agreement between a subsidiary of the Registrant and a consolidated affiliated PRC entity
English summary of the form of Operation Agreement among a subsidiary of the Registrant, a consolidated affiliated PRC entity and
the shareholders of consolidated PRC entity
English summary of the form of Web Layout Copyright License Agreement, Software License Agreement and Trademark License
Agreement between a subsidiary of the Registrant and a consolidated affiliated PRC entity (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
4.12 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
English summary of the form of Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney among a subsidiary of the Registrant, a consolidated affiliated
PRC entity and the shareholders of the consolidated affiliated PRC entity
English summary of the form of Equity Pledge Agreement between a subsidiary of the Registrant and the shareholder of a
consolidated affiliated PRC entity
213
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.15*
4.16*
4.17
4.18
4.19
4.20
4.21
4.22
4.23
4.24
4.25
4.26
Description of Document
English summary of the form of Exclusive Equity Purchase Option Agreement among a subsidiary of the Registrant, a consolidated
affiliated PRC entity, the shareholders of a consolidated affiliated PRC entity and an offshore Holding company (if applicable)
English summary of the form of Loan Agreement between a subsidiary of the Registrant and the shareholder of a consolidated
affiliated PRC entity
Translation of the Supplementary Agreement to Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement dated June 23, 2006
between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal, dated as of April 22, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.25 of our Annual
Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)
Translation of the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated June 23, 2006 between Baidu Online and Beijing Perusal
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.27 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 29, 2011)
Translation of the supplementary agreements, dated March 11, 2010 and April 22, 2010 to the Software License Agreement dated
March 22, 2005 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.48 of our Annual Report on Form
20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)
Translation of the supplementary agreement dated March 1, 2010 to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement dated March 1,
2004 between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom and the supplementary agreement dated August 9, 2004 (incorporated by reference
to Exhibit 4.50 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)
Translation of the supplementary agreement dated April 22, 2010 to the Operating Agreement dated March 22, 2005 between Baidu
Online and Baidu Netcom (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.51 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2011)
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Loan Agreement among Robin Yanhong Li, Baidu Netcom and Baidu Online
dated September 6, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.65 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Software License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated
January 30, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.68 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu
Netcom dated January 30, 2011 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.69 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29, 2012)
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu
Netcom dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.64 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Software License Agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom dated
August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.65 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)
214
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Exhibit
Number
4.27
4.28
4.29
4.30
4.31
4.32
4.33
4.34
4.35
4.36
4.37
Description of Document
Translation of the supplementary agreement to the Web Layout Copyright License Agreement between Baidu Online and Beijing
Perusal dated August 15, 2013 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.66 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2014)
Translation of the Termination Agreements among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Jiping Liu and Yazhu Zhang, former individual
shareholders of Beijing Perusal, dated March 15, 2016 and May 3, 2016, respectively (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.34 of
our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreements between Baidu Online and Zhixiang Liang, and between Baidu Online
and Xiaodong Wang, both dated June 20, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.35 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Equity Transfer Agreements between Jiping Liu and Zhixiang Liang, between Jiping Liu and Xiaodong Wang,
and between Yazhu Zhang and Xiaodong Wang, all dated May 3, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.36 of our Annual
Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of Proxy Agreement among Zhixiang Liang and Baidu Online and of Proxy Agreement among Xiaodong Wang and
Baidu Online, both dated May 3, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.37 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Operating Agreement among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Zhixiang Liang, and Xiaodong Wang, dated May 3,
2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.38 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreements between Baidu Online and Zhixiang Liang, and between Baidu
Online and Xiaodong Wang, both dated June 20, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.39 of our Annual Report on Form
20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreements among Baidu Online,
Zhixiang Liang and Beijing Perusal, and among Baidu Online, Xiaodong Wang and Beijing Perusal, both dated June 20, 2016
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.40 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 31, 2017)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Zhixiang Liang, the individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, dated May 3,
2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.41 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Xiaodong Wang, the individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, dated May 3,
2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.42 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Termination Agreement of Current Control Contracts among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li and
Zhan Wang dated June 13, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.43 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
215
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.38
4.39
4.40
4.41
4.42
4.43
4.44
4.45
4.46
4.47
4.48
4.49
4.50
Description of Document
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Hailong Xiang dated January 18, 2017
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.44 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated January 18, 2017
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.45 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Equity Transfer Agreement between Than Wang and Hailong Xiang dated June 13, 2016 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.46 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31,
2017)
Translation of the Proxy Agreement among Robin Yanhong Li, Hailong Xiang and Baidu Online dated June 13, 2016 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 4.47 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31,
2017)
Translation of the Operating Agreement among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin Yanhong Li, Hailong Xiang dated June 13,
2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.48 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Hailong Xiang dated January 18,
2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.49 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated January 18,
2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.50 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu Online, Hailong
Xiang and Baidu Netcom dated January 18, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.51 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu Online, Robin
Yanhong Li and Baidu Netcom dated January 18, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.52 of our Annual Report on Form
20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Robin Yanhong Li, an individual shareholder of Baidu Netcom, dated
June 13, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.53 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Hailong Xiang, an individual shareholder of Baidu Netcom, dated June 13,
2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.54 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 31, 2017)
Standstill Agreement between Baidu, Inc. and Ctrip.com International, Ltd. dated October 26, 2015 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 3 of our Report on Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with respect to Ctrip.com
International, Ltd. on November 4, 2015)
Registration Rights Agreement between Baidu Holdings Limited and Ctrip.com International, Ltd. dated October 26, 2015
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4 of our Report on Schedule 13D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission with
respect to Ctrip.com International, Ltd. on November 4, 2015)
216
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Exhibit
Number
4.51
4.54
4.55
4.56
4.58
4.59
4.60
4.61
4.62
4.63
4.64
4.65
4.66
Description of Document
US$2,000,000,000 Facilities Agreement between the Registrant and other parties thereto dated June 8, 2016 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.68 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31,
2017)
Share Purchase Agreement among Baidu Holdings Limited, Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, 91 Wireless Websoft Limited and certain
investors party thereto, dated April 28, 2018 and as amended on August 21, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.54 of our
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement among Baidu Holdings Limited, Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, Duxiaoman
(Cayman) Limited and certain investors party thereto, dated November 17, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.55 of our
Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
2018 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.56 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Hailong Xiang dated May 7, 2018
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.58 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated May 7, 2018
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.59 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Proxy Agreement between Robin Yanhong Li and Baidu, Inc. dated March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.60 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Proxy Agreement between Hailong Xiang and Baidu, Inc. dated March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.61 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu
Netcom, Baidu Online and Hailong Xiang dated May 7, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.62 of our Annual Report on
Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu
Netcom, Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated May 7, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.63 of our Annual Report
on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Robin Yanhong Li, an individual shareholder of Baidu Netcom, March 31,
2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.64 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Hailong Xiang, an individual shareholder of Baidu Netcom, dated March 31,
2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.65 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Hailong Xiang dated May 7, 2018
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.66 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 15, 2019)
217
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.67
4.69
4.70
4.71
4.72
4.73
4.74
4.75
4.76
4.77
4.78
4.79
Description of Document
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated May 7,
2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.67 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Loan Agreements between Baidu Online and Zhixiang Liang, and between Baidu Online and Xiaodong Wang,
both dated March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.69 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of Proxy Agreements between Zhixiang Liang and Baidu, Inc., and between Xiaodong Wang and Baidu, Inc., dated
March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.70 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Zhixiang Liang, an individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, March 31,
2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.71 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Xiaodong Wang, an individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, March 31,
2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.72 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu Online, Zhixiang Liang and
Beijing Perusal, dated March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.73 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu Online, Xiaodong Wang
and Beijing Perusal, dated March 31, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.74 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Termination Agreement of Current Control Contracts among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Zhixiang Liang,
Xiaodong Wang, and Baidu, Inc. dated June 28, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.75 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 15, 2019)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated July 10, 2019
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.83 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu
Netcom, Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated July 10, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.84 of our Annual Report
on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Robin Yanhong Li dated July 10,
2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.85 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Termination Agreement of Current Control Contracts among Baidu, Inc., Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Robin
Yanhong Li and Hailong Xiang dated August 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.86 of our Annual Report on Form
20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
218
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.80
4.81
4.82
4.83
4.84
4.85
4.86
4.87
4.88
4.89
4.90
4.91
4.92
Description of Document
Translation of Proxy Agreement between Shanshan Cui and Baidu, Inc., dated August 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.87 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Operating Agreement among Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom, Shanshan Cui, and Robin Yanhong Li, dated
August 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.88 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Shanshan Cui dated August 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.89 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among Baidu, Inc., Baidu Online, Shanshan Cui and
Baidu Netcom dated August 20, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.90 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 2020)
Translation of the Equity Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Shanshan Cui dated August 20, 2019 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.91 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13,
2020)
Amended and Restated Share Purchase Agreement among the Buyer as defined therein, Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited, JOYY Inc.
and certain investors party thereto, dated February 7, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.85 of our Annual Report on Form
20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Termination Agreement among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Zhixiang Liang, Lu Wang and our company, dated
October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.86 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Operating Agreement among Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal, Zhixiang Liang and Shanshan Cui, dated October 30,
2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.87 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Loan Agreement between Baidu Online and Shanshan Cui, dated October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.88 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Proxy Agreement between our company and Shanshan Cui, dated October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.89 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement among our company, Baidu Online, Shanshan Cui and
Beijing Perusal, dated October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.90 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Pledge Agreement between Baidu Online and Shanshan Cui, dated October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 4.91 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Zhixiang Liang, an individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, dated
October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.92 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
219
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.93
4.94
4.95
4.96
4.97
4.98
4.99
4.100
4.101
4.102
4.103
Description of Document
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Shanshan Cui, an individual shareholder of Beijing Perusal, dated
October 30, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.93 of our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission on March 9, 2021)
Translation of Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement, effective on December 1, 2011, between Beijing QIYI
Century and Beijing Xinlian Xinde Advertisement Media Co., Ltd. (later renamed as Beijing iQIYI) (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.49 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on
February 27, 2018)
Translation of Software Licensing Agreement, effective on December 1, 2011, between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing Xinlian
Xinde Advertisement Media Co., Ltd. (later renamed as Beijing iQIYI) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.50 to the
registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Trademark Licensing Agreement, effective on December 1, 2011, between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing Xinlian
Xinde Advertisement Media Co., Ltd. (later renamed as Beijing iQIYI) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.51 to the
registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Business Cooperation Agreement, effective on December 1, 2011, between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing Xinlian
Xinde Advertisement Media Co., Ltd. (later renamed as Beijing iQIYI) (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.52 to the
registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Amended and Restated Shareholder Voting Rights Trust Agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Xiaohua
Geng, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File
No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Amended and Restated Equity Pledge Agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Xiaohua Geng, dated
January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263)
filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Commitment Letter issued by iQIYI, and Beijing QIYI Century, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on
February 27, 2018)
Translation of Amended and Restated Exclusive Purchase Option Agreement among iQIYI, Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI
and Xiaohua Geng, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the registration statement on Form
F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Amended and Restated Loan Agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Xiaohua Geng, dated January 30, 2013
(incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI,
Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
Translation of Amended and Restated Business Operation Agreement among Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI and Xiaohua
Geng, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File
No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on February 27, 2018)
220
Table of Contents
Exhibit
Number
4.104
4.105
4.106
8.1*
11.1
12.1*
12.2*
13.1**
13.2**
15.1*
15.2*
15.3*
Description of Document
Translation of Irrevocable Power of Attorney issued by Beijing QIYI Century, dated January 30, 2013 (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on
February 27, 2018)
Translation of Spousal Consent Letter issued by the spouse of Xiaohua Geng, dated September 26, 2016 (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-223263) filed by iQIYI, Inc. with the SEC on
February 27, 2018)
US$3,000,000,000 Facilities Agreement between the Registrant and other parties thereto dated April 2, 2021 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 4.106 of Form 6-K furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 18, 2021)
List of Principal Subsidiaries and Consolidated Affiliated Entities
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.14 of our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (file
no. 333-126534) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 12, 2005)
Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification by Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification by Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP
Consent of Han Kun Law Offices
Consent of Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP
101.INS*
Inline XBRL Instance Document—this instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags
embedded within the Inline XBRL document
101.SCH*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE*
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
*
**
Filed herewith
Furnished herewith
221
Table of Contents
SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing its annual report on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and
authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.
Baidu, Inc.
By: /s/ Robin Yanhong Li
Name: Robin Yanhong Li
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Date: March 28, 2022
222
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 1408)
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2021
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
F-1
Page(s)
F-2-F-7
F-8
F-9
F-10-F-11
F-12-F-13
F-14-F-95
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Baidu, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Baidu, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the related
consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, cash flows and shareholders’ equity for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2020 and 2021, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated March 28, 2022 expressed an unqualified
opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial
statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the
Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and
the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included
performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures
that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the
overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or
required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and
(2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our
opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing
separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Description of the Matter
Valuation of equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative
As of December 31, 2021, the carrying amount of the Company’s equity investments
accounted for using the measurement alternative was RMB10,788 million. As discussed in
Notes 2, 4 and 25 to the
F-2
Table of Contents
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit
consolidated financial statements, the Company elected to use the measurement alternative to
measure equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost, less any
impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly
transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, if any. For the year ended
December 31, 2021, gross unrealized gains (upward adjustments) of RMB1,062 million and
gross unrealized losses (downward adjustments excluding impairment) of RMB165 million
were recognized on equity investments still held at the reporting date in other income.
Auditing the valuation of equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative
was complex as significant judgment is required in the determination of whether an observable
price change of the same issuer is an orderly transaction and identical or similar to an
investment held by the Company, and, if so, the resulting price adjustment for the different
rights and obligations of the instruments. This process entails an evaluation of the difference
in rights and obligations between the two instruments, such as liquidation preferences and
redemption features, and the selection of appropriate valuation methodologies and underlying
assumptions to measure the price adjustment.
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of
controls over the Company’s processes of identifying similar instruments and determining the
price adjustment of equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative. For
example, we tested controls over management’s assessment of whether the observable price
changes are orderly transactions and identical or similar to the instruments held by the
Company. We also tested controls over management’s review of the price adjustments
recognized for the equity investments held.
To audit the valuation of equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative,
we performed procedures that included, among others, evaluating management’s assessment
for identifying observable price changes and whether they are orderly transactions and
identical or similar to the instruments held by the Company by considering differences in
rights and obligations of the two instruments. On a sample basis, we read the investment
agreements to compare the rights and obligations of the instruments with observable price
changes in orderly transactions to the instruments held by the Company. We evaluated
management’s assessment of the probability of exit events as it relates to liquidation and
redemption preferences, based on information available as of the observable transaction date.
For instruments which management assessed as similar, we evaluated the appropriateness of
the valuation methodologies and underlying assumptions used by management to derive the
price adjustments with the assistance of our internal valuation specialists, including comparing
expected volatility to those of comparable companies, when applicable. In addition, we
recalculated the adjustments made to
F-3
Table of Contents
Description of the Matter
carrying values of the equity investments held and compared the unrealized gains or losses to
the amounts recorded in the Company’s accounting records.
Impairment assessment of equity method investments and equity investments accounted for
using the measurement alternative
As described in Notes 2, 4 and 25 to the consolidated financial statements, as of December 31,
2021, the Company’s consolidated balance of equity method investments and equity
investments accounted for using the measurement alternative was RMB24,808 million and
RMB10,788 million, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company
recognized impairment losses of RMB57 million and RMB4,259 million for equity method
investments and equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative,
respectively. The Company evaluates its equity method investments for impairment at each
reporting date, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the
carrying amount of the investment might not be recoverable. Factors considered by the
Company when determining whether an equity method investment has been other-than-
temporarily-impaired, include, but are not limited to, the length of the time and the extent to
which the market value has been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term
prospects of the investee and the Company’s intent and ability to retain the investment until
the recovery of its cost. An impairment loss is recognized in earnings when the decline in
value is determined to be other-than-temporary. For equity investments accounted for using
the measurement alternative, the Company makes a qualitative assessment considering
impairment indicators to evaluate whether investments are impaired at each reporting date. If a
qualitative assessment indicates that an investment is impaired, the Company estimates the
investment’s fair value and recognizes an impairment loss if the fair value is less than the
investment’s carrying value.
Auditing the Company’s impairment assessment was complex and highly judgmental due to
the significant judgment involved in (i) management’s assessment of whether indicators of
impairment existed, and if so, determining whether (ii) a decline in value of equity method
investments was other-than-temporary and (iii) investments in equity investments accounted
for using the measurement alternative were impaired. In addition, auditing the fair value of the
Company’s investments in investees without observable market prices was highly judgmental
due to the subjectivity of the unobservable inputs used by management in the valuation
methodologies to determine the fair value for these investments, such as selection of
comparable companies and multiples, expected volatility, discount for lack-of-marketability
and probability of exit events as it relates to liquidation and redemption preferences, when
applicable. These unobservable inputs and resulting fair value estimates may be affected by
unexpected changes in future market or economic conditions.
F-4
Table of Contents
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of
controls over the Company’s impairment review processes for equity method investments and
equity investments accounted for using the measurement alternative. For example, we tested
controls over management’s identification and review of impairment indicators for these
investments, and as necessary, management’s review of the subsequent determination of
whether impairment existed and the measurement of fair value.
To test the impairment assessment of equity method investments and equity investments
accounted for using the measurement alternative, we performed audit procedures that
included, among others, evaluating management’s assessment as to whether indicators of
impairment existed and investments were impaired by considering the financial condition and
operating results of the investees, as well as other relevant market information. For equity
method investments, we also evaluated management’s determination as to whether an
indicated impairment was other-than-temporary, considering factors such as the duration and
magnitude of the decline in value and the Company’s intent and ability to retain the
investment until the recovery of its cost. We tested the completeness, accuracy and relevance
of the underlying data used by management in the valuation models to determine fair value.
With the assistance of our internal valuation specialists, we evaluated the appropriateness of
the valuation methodologies used by management to determine the fair value of investments
and tested the unobservable inputs used in the valuation methodologies by comparing certain
assumptions to industry, business and market data/information available from third-party
sources. We also independently developed fair value estimates and compared them to the
Company’s results and involved our internal valuation specialists to assist with the application
of these procedures.
/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2007.
Beijing, The People’s Republic of China
March 28, 2022
F-5
Table of Contents
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Baidu, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited Baidu, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control—
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In
our opinion, Baidu, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021,
based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated
balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, cash flows and
shareholders’ equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and our report dated March 28, 2022
expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness
of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting
firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and
the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and
evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered
necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial
reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s
internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are
recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and
expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide
reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a
material effect on the financial statements.
F-6
Table of Contents
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation
of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP
Beijing, The People’s Republic of China
March 28, 2022
F-7
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in millions of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares and per share data)
As of December 31,
Notes
2020
2021
RMB RMB US$
2021
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Short-term investments, net of allowance of RMB285 and RMB338 (US$53) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of RMB1,320 and RMB2,069 (US$325) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively
Amounts due from related parties
Other current assets, net
Total current assets
Non-current assets:
Fixed assets, net
Licensed copyrights, net
Produced content, net
Intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Long-term investments, net
Amounts due from related parties
Deferred tax assets, net
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Other non-current assets
Total non-current assets
Total assets
LIABILITIES, REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS AND EQUITY
Current liabilities (including amounts of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to the primary beneficiaries of RMB25,051 and RMB30,592 (US$4,801) as of
December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively):
Short-term loans
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Customer deposits and deferred revenue
Deferred income
Long-term loans, current portion
Convertible senior notes, current portion
Notes payable, current portion
Amounts due to related parties
Operating lease liabilities
Total current liabilities
Non-current liabilities (including amounts of the consolidated VIEs without recourse to the primary beneficiaries of RMB5,519 and RMB6,286 (US$986) as of
December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively):
Deferred income
Deferred revenue
Amounts due to related parties
Long-term loans
Notes payable
Convertible senior notes
Deferred tax liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
Other non-current liabilities
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interests
Equity
Class A Ordinary Shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share, 66,000,000,000 shares authorized, and 2,107,228,720 shares and 2,205,032,472 shares issued and
outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, respectively (Note)
Class B Ordinary Shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share, 2,832,000,000 shares authorized, and 571,900,320 shares and 559,300,320 shares issued and
outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, respectively (Note)
Additional paid-in capital
Treasury stock
Retained earnings
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Total Baidu, Inc. shareholders’ equity
Noncontrolling interests
Total equity
Total liabilities, redeemable noncontrolling interests and equity
35,782 36,850
758 10,821
4 126,402 143,243
9,981
8,668
7
726
1,368
23
8 11,006 11,052
183,342 213,315
5,783
1,697
22,478
1,566
215
1,735
33,474
9 17,508 23,027
6,435
5
7,258
6,556 10,951
6
10
1,689
2,022
10 22,248 22,605
4 76,233 67,332
3,487
3,438
2,372
1,674
9,804 12,065
3,448 15,933
149,366 166,719
332,708 380,034
23
16
15
8
3,613
1,139
1,718
265
3,547
10,566
547
372
1,894
2,501
26,162
59,636
3,016
1
12
4,168
11 36,716 41,384
12,626 13,706
97
158
7,427
2
12
14
4,752 —
13 — 10,505
1,764
23
2,862
15
68,385 74,488
1,324
2,366
654
6,494
2,151
15
—
—
1,648
277
450
11,689
1
97
686
3,543
129
223
23
3,268
12 — 12,629
13 48,408 43,120
14 11,927 12,652
3,286
16
3,067
5,569
15
4,693
718
59
72,480 81,594
140,865 156,082
20
35
513
1,982
6,766
1,985
516
874
112
12,803
24,492
18
19
3,102
7,148
1,122
20 — —
—
20 — —
47,213 73,888
—
(7,581)
20 135,284 145,160
(8)
20
199
182,696 211,459
5,345
188,741 216,804
332,708 380,034
6,045
—
11,595
(1,190)
22,779
(1)
33,183
839
34,022
59,636
Note: Par value per share and the number of shares as of December 31, 2020 has been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision that took effect on March 1, 2021 as detailed in Notes
1 and 21
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-8
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in millions of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), including number of shares, except for per share (or ADS) data)
Revenues:
Online marketing services
Others
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit
Other (loss) income:
Interest income
Interest expense
Foreign exchange (loss) gain, net
Share of losses from equity method investments
Others, net
Total other (loss) income, net
(Loss) income before income taxes
Income taxes
Net (loss) income
Less: net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Earnings per share for Class A and Class B ordinary shares (Note):
Basic
Diluted
Earnings per ADS (1 ADS equals 8 Class A ordinary shares) (Note):
Basic
Diluted
Weighted average number of Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding (in millions) (Note):
Basic
Diluted
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Unrealized losses on available-for-sale investments, net of reclassification
Unrealized gains on derivative
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax
Comprehensive (loss) income
Less: comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
For the Years Ended December 31,
Notes
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
78,093 72,840 80,695 12,663
29,320 34,234 43,798 6,873
24 107,413 107,074 124,493 19,536
62,850 55,158 64,314 10,092
19,910 18,063 24,723 3,879
18,346 19,513 24,938 3,914
101,106 92,734 113,975 17,885
6,307 14,340 10,518 1,651
4
4
16
21
21
20
6,060
(2,960)
(33)
(1,254)
(8,460)
(6,647)
5,358
(3,103)
(660)
(2,248)
9,403
8,750
5,551
(3,421)
100
(932)
(1,038)
260
871
(537)
16
(146)
(164)
40
(340) 23,090 10,778 1,691
500
4,064
1,948
3,187
7,591 1,191
(2,288) 19,026
(4,345)
(414)
(2,635)
(3,446)
2,057 22,472 10,226 1,605
0.71
0.70
8.19
8.12
3.58
3.51
5.68
5.60
65.54
64.98
28.64
28.07
0.56
0.55
4.49
4.40
2,787
2,791
2,732
2,756
2,758 2,758
2,814 2,814
(782)
(708)
—
(1,490)
1,936
(161)
—
1,775
(88)
(190)
149
(129)
(14)
(30)
23
(21)
(3,778) 20,801
(3,253)
(4,242)
7,462 1,170
(402)
(2,557)
464 24,054 10,019 1,572
Note: Basic and diluted earnings per share and the number of shares for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been retrospectively adjusted for the Share
Subdivision that took effect on March 1, 2021 as detailed in Notes 1 and 21.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-9
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in millions of U.S. Dollars (“US$”))
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net (loss) income
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation of fixed assets and computer parts
Amortization of intangible assets
Deferred income tax, net
Share-based compensation
Allowance for credit losses
Investment and interest income
Amortization and impairment of licensed copyrights
Amortization and impairment of produced content
Impairment of other assets
Share of losses from equity method investments
Loss (gain) on disposal of subsidiaries
(Gain) loss on disposal of fixed assets
Barter transaction revenue
Accretion on convertible senior notes and asset-backed debt securities
Other non-cash expenses
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions and disposals:
Accounts receivable
Amounts due from related parties
Licensed copyrights
Produced content
Other assets
Customer deposits and deferred revenue
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Deferred income
Amounts due to related parties
Net cash provided by operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of fixed assets
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired
Acquisition of licensed copyrights
Acquisition of intangible assets
Purchases of held-to-maturity investments
Maturities of held-to-maturity investments
Purchases of available-for-sale investments
Sales and maturities of available-for-sale investments
Purchases of equity investments
Proceeds from disposal of equity investments
Disposal of subsidiaries’ shares
Loans provided to third parties
Repayment of loans provided to third parties
Repayment of loans provided to related parties
Prepayments made for the acquisition of businesses
Other investing activities
Net cash used in investing activities
For the Years Ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(2,288)
19,026
7,591
1,191
5,615
661
(696)
5,626
429
(2,305)
12,885
2,977
10,714
1,254
578
(78)
(683)
380
76
(1,779)
(135)
—
(3,596)
(863)
1,515
(1,653)
(37)
(139)
28,458
5,772
544
115
6,728
679
(11,966)
11,864
4,534
2,928
2,248
—
71
(1,376)
501
739
(1,660)
125
(10,528)
(6,728)
(351)
1,177
208
(293)
(157)
24,200
5,884
471
(449)
7,056
989
(3,930)
10,083
6,121
4,445
932
(45)
(81)
(1,244)
618
372
(2,144)
(695)
(9,731)
(10,492)
(3,644)
622
7,141
(29)
281
20,122
923
74
(70)
1,107
155
(617)
1,582
961
698
146
(7)
(14)
(195)
97
58
(336)
(109)
(1,527)
(1,645)
(573)
98
1,121
(5)
45
3,158
(6,428)
(969)
(12,152)
(541)
(120,189)
46,563
(218,171)
291,163
(6,322)
7,517
(476)
—
—
24
—
7
(19,974)
(5,084)
(2,396)
—
(247)
(159,197)
134,299
(133,008)
135,606
(4,467)
6,523
(486)
(5)
—
917
—
(7)
(27,552)
(10,896)
(247)
—
(344)
(171,526)
156,700
(25,575)
25,895
(3,395)
9,908
—
(810)
810
—
(12,035)
71
(31,444)
(1,710)
(39)
—
(54)
(26,916)
24,590
(4,013)
4,063
(533)
1,555
—
(127)
127
—
(1,888)
11
(4,934)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-10
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in millions of U.S. Dollars (“US$”))
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from short-term loans
Repayments of short-term loans
Proceeds from long-term loans
Repayments of long-term loans
Repayment of loans borrowed from related parties
Proceeds from issuance of long-term notes, net of issuance costs
Repayment of long-term notes
Proceeds from issuance of convertible senior notes, net of issuance costs
Repayments of convertible senior notes
Purchase of capped calls
Proceeds from issuance of subsidiaries’ shares
Repurchase of ordinary shares
Proceeds from exercise of share options
Proceeds from issuance of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Acquisition of redeemable noncontrolling interests and noncontrolling interests in a subsidiary
Proceeds from Hong Kong listing, net of issuance costs
Return of equity to noncontrolling interest shareholders
Other financing activities
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year
Supplemental disclosures:
Interest paid
Income taxes paid
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Acquisition of fixed assets included in accounts payable
and accrued liabilities
Non-cash acquisitions of investments
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statements of cash flows
For the Years Ended December 31,
2019
2021
RMB RMB RMB US$
2021
2020
4,662
2,738
(3,166)
(6,912)
7,910
633
— — (4,751)
704
3,559 4,487
(528)
(3,223) (3,365)
946 — 12,673 1,989
(709) (7,277) (1,142)
(168)
(356) — —
—
(10) 13,346 6,440 1,011
(5,378) — —
99
5,151
(746)
(567) — — —
107
401
(4,958) (13,054) (7,581) (1,190)
18
53
228
—
774
(138)
— —
— — 19,873 3,120
(424)
— — (2,701)
(230)
(18)
(109)
(105)
5,665 23,396 3,671
(3,873)
(212)
(148)
1
4,612
2,101 11,131 1,747
29,827 34,439 36,540 5,733
34,439 36,540 47,671 7,480
335
1,669 4,935
(880)
(943)
684
2,448
4,100
2,204 2,542
3,608 3,253
399
510
1,020
28
984 1,843
50
54
289
8
33,443 35,782 36,850 5,783
758 10,821 1,697
34,439 36,540 47,671 7,480
996
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-11
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”) except for number of shares)
Ordinary shares
Attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Balances at December 31, 2018
Net income
Other comprehensive loss
Business combinations
Acquisition of non-controlling interests in a subsidiary
Issuance of shares by the Company’s subsidiaries to noncontrolling
interests
Exercise of share-based awards
Share-based compensation
Dividends paid and payable by the Company’s subsidiaries
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Repurchase and retirement of ordinary shares
Disposal of subsidiaries’ shares
Equity component of convertible senior notes issued by iQIYI, net of
issuance costs
Purchase of capped calls
Balances at December 31, 2019
Cumulative effect of accounting change
Net income
Other comprehensive income
Business combinations
Issuance of shares by the Company’s subsidiaries to noncontrolling
interests
Exercise of share-based awards
Share-based compensation
Dividends payable by the Company’s subsidiaries
Return of equity to noncontrolling interest shareholders
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Repurchase and retirement of ordinary shares
Equity component of convertible senior notes issued by iQIYI, net of
issuance costs
Others
Balances at December 31, 2020
Number of shares
(Note)
Amount
RMB
2,794,795,680 —
— —
— —
— —
— —
Additional paid-in
capital
RMB
Retained
earnings
RMB
33,441 129,246
—
2,057
— —
— —
(22) —
— —
24,997,040 —
— —
— —
— —
(53,162,720) —
— —
— —
— —
2,766,630,000 —
— —
— —
— —
— —
— —
38,595,040 —
— —
— —
—
— —
(126,096,000) —
(19) —
18 —
5,045 —
— —
(77)
—
—
(4,958)
13 —
559 —
(321) —
38,714 126,268
—
(314)
— 22,472
— —
— —
2,260 —
302 —
5,749 —
— —
— —
—
(88)
— (13,054)
— —
— —
2,679,129,040 —
208 —
(20) —
47,213 135,284
Accumulated other
comprehensive
income (loss)
RMB
Noncontrolling
interests
RMB
Total
shareholders’
equity
RMB
210
—
(1,593)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(1,383)
—
—
1,582
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
199
12,139
(4,345)
103
266
(43)
325
—
504
(128)
(34)
—
(863)
429
(246)
8,107
(43)
(3,446)
193
798
2,397
—
645
(70)
(2,704)
(39)
—
187
20
6,045
175,036
(2,288)
(1,490)
266
(65)
306
18
5,549
(128)
(111)
(4,958)
(850)
988
(567)
171,706
(357)
19,026
1,775
798
4,657
302
6,394
(70)
(2,704)
(127)
(13,054)
395
—
188,741
Note: The number of shares has been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision that took effect on March 1, 2021 as detailed in Notes 1 and 21.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
F-12
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY (CONTINUED)
(Amounts in millions of Renminbi (“RMB”), and in millions of U.S. Dollars (“US$”), except for number of shares)
Balances at December 31, 2020
Net income
Other comprehensive loss
Issuance of ordinary shares, net of issuance
costs
Issuance of shares by the Company’s
subsidiaries to noncontrolling interests
Acquisition of redeemable noncontrolling
interests and noncontrolling interests
Exercise of share-based awards
Share-based compensation
Dividends paid and payable by the Company’s
subsidiaries
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling
interests
Repurchase of ordinary shares
Reclassification from mezzanine equity to
ordinary shares
Equity component of convertible senior notes
issued by iQIYI, net of issuance costs
Others
Balances at December 31, 2021
Balances at December 31, 2021, in US$
Ordinary shares
Treasury Stock
Attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Number of
shares
(Note)
Amount
RMB
2,679,129,040 —
— —
— —
Number of
shares
Amount
RMB
— —
— —
— —
Additional
paid-in capital
RMB
Retained
earnings
RMB
47,213 135,284
— 10,226
—
—
95,000,000 —
— —
19,873
—
— —
— —
279
—
— —
47,547,280 —
— —
— —
— —
— —
(692)
292
6,895
—
—
—
— —
— —
—
—
— —
(57,343,528) — 57,343,528
— —
(7,581)
—
—
(350)
—
— —
— —
—
—
— —
— —
2,764,332,792 — 57,343,528
—
— —
— —
(7,581)
(1,190)
25
3
—
—
73,888 145,160
11,595 22,779
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income (loss)
RMB
Noncontrolling
interests
RMB
Total
shareholders’
equity
RMB
199
—
(207)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(8)
(1)
6,045
(2,635)
78
188,741
7,591
(129)
—
19,873
432
727
—
613
(51)
(41)
—
153
711
35
292
7,508
(51)
(391)
(7,581)
153
24
—
5,345
839
49
3
216,804
34,022
Note: The number of shares has been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision that took effect on March 1, 2021 as detailed in Notes 1 and 21.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of the consolidated financial statements
F-13
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
1.
ORGANIZATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION
Baidu, Inc. (“Baidu” or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands on January 18, 2000. The Company, its subsidiaries,
variable interest entities (“VIEs”) and subsidiaries of the VIEs are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Group”.
As of December 31, 2021, the Company has subsidiaries incorporated in countries and jurisdictions including the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or
“China”), Hong Kong, Japan, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (“BVI”). As of December 31, 2021, the Company also effectively controls a
number of VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries, as defined below. The VIEs include:
•
•
•
•
Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. (“Baidu Netcom”), controlled by the Company;
Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Perusal”), controlled by the Company;
Beijing iQIYI Science & Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing iQIYI”), and other VIEs controlled by iQIYI, Inc. (“iQIYI VIEs”); and
Other VIEs controlled by the Company or the Company’s subsidiaries.
The Group’s operations are consisting of Baidu Core and iQIYI. Baidu Core offers online marketing service, and other services including cloud services
and other growth initiatives including intelligent driving, Xiaodu smart devices, etc. iQIYI is an innovative market-leading online entertainment service
in China and offers membership services, online advertising services, content distribution and others service. iQIYI’s platform features iQIYI original
content, as well as a comprehensive library of other professionally produced content (PPC), professional user generated content (PUGC) and user-
generated content The Group’s principal geographic market is in the PRC. The Company does not conduct any substantive operations of its own, but
conducts its primary business operations through its subsidiaries and VIEs in the PRC.
PRC laws and regulations prohibit or restrict foreign ownership of internet content, value-added telecommunication-based online advertising, audio and
video services, and mobile application distribution businesses, etc. To comply with these foreign ownership restrictions, the Group operates its websites
and primarily provides services subject to such restriction in the PRC through the VIEs, the PRC legal entities that were established or whose equity
shares were held by the individuals authorized by the Group. The paid-in capital of the VIEs was mainly funded by the Company or its subsidiaries
through loans extended to the authorized individuals who were the shareholders of the VIEs. The Company or its subsidiaries has entered into proxy
agreements or powers of attorney and exclusive equity purchase option agreement with the VIEs and nominee shareholders of the VIEs through the
Company or its subsidiaries (“Primary Beneficiaries”), which give the Primary Beneficiaries the power to direct the activities that most significantly
affect the economic performance of the VIEs and to acquire the equity interests in the VIEs when permitted by the PRC laws, respectively. Certain
exclusive agreements have been entered into with the VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries or their wholly-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, which
obligate the Primary Beneficiaries to absorb losses or receive economic benefits of the VIEs’ that could potentially be significant to the VIEs or entitle
the Primary Beneficiaries to receive economic benefits from the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs. In addition, the Group has
entered into certain agreements with the shareholders of the VIEs through the Primary Beneficiaries or their wholly-owned subsidiaries, including loan
agreements for the paid-in capital of the VIEs and equity pledge agreements for the equity interests in the VIEs held by the shareholders of the VIEs.
Despite the lack of legal majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between the Primary Beneficiaries and the VIEs through the
aforementioned agreements with the shareholders of the VIEs. The
F-14
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
shareholders of the VIEs effectively assigned all of their voting rights underlying their equity interest in the VIEs to the Primary Beneficiaries. In
addition, through the other exclusive agreements, which consist of operating agreements/business operation agreements, technology consulting and
services agreements and license agreements, the Primary Beneficiaries, by themselves or their wholly-owned subsidiaries in the PRC, demonstrate their
ability and intention to continue to exercise the ability to absorb losses or receive economic benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIEs.
The VIEs are subject to operating risks, which determine the variability of the Company’s interest in those entities. Based on these contractual
arrangements, the Company consolidates the VIEs as required by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidation.
Unrecognized revenue-producing assets held by the VIEs include certain internet content provisions and other licenses, domain names and trademarks.
The internet content provisions and other licenses, which are held by the VIEs that provide the relevant services, are required under relevant PRC laws,
rules and regulations for the operation of Internet businesses in the PRC, and therefore are integral to the Company’s operations.
The principal terms of the agreements entered into amongst the VIEs, their respective shareholders and the Primary Beneficiaries are further described
below.
Loan Agreements
Pursuant to loan agreements amongst the shareholders of Baidu Netcom and Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (“Baidu Online”),
one of the Company’s subsidiaries, Baidu Online provided interest-free loans in an aggregate amount of RMB13.4 billion (US$2.1 billion) to the
shareholders of Baidu Netcom solely for the latter to fund the capitalization of Baidu Netcom. The loans can be repaid only with the proceeds from the
sale of the shareholders’ equity interest in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online or its designated person. The term of the loan agreements will expire on
July 9, 2029 and August 19, 2029, and can be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration.
Pursuant to loan agreements amongst the shareholders of Baidu Perusal and Baidu Online, the amount of loans extended to the respective shareholders
of Beijing Perusal is RMB3.2 billion (US$502 million). The term of the loan agreements will expire on March 30, 2028 and October 29, 2029, and can
be extended with the written consent of both parties before its expiration. Each of the loan agreements amongst Baidu Online or other subsidiaries and
the respective shareholders of Beijing Perusal or other VIEs, including iQIYI VIEs, contains substantially the same terms as those described above,
except that the amount of the loans and the contract expiration date varies. The term of the loan agreement amongst Beijing QIYI Century Science &
Technology Co., Ltd (“Beijing QIYI Century”, a wholly-owned foreign enterprise of iQIYI) and the shareholder of Beijing iQIYI expires on June 23,
2021 originally, which was extended in December 2020 for another ten years and can be further extended upon the written notification from Beijing
QIYI Century.
Exclusive Equity Purchase and Transfer Option Agreement/ Exclusive Purchase Option Agreement
Pursuant to the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement amongst the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the Company and Baidu Online,
the shareholders of Baidu Netcom irrevocably granted the Company or its designated person(s) an exclusive option to purchase, to the extent permitted
under PRC law, all or part of the equity interests in Baidu Netcom for the cost of the initial contributions to the registered capital or the minimum
amount of consideration permitted by applicable PRC law. The shareholders should remit to Baidu Online any amount that is paid by the Company or its
designated person(s) in connection with the purchased equity interest. The Company or its designated person(s) have sole discretion to decide when to
exercise the option, whether in part or in full. Any and all dividends and other capital distributions made by Baidu Netcom to its shareholders
F-15
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
should be repaid to the Company in full amount. The Company would provide unlimited financial support to Baidu Netcom if, in the normal operation
of business, Baidu Netcom would become in need of any form of reasonable financial support. If Baidu Netcom were to incur any loss and as a result
cannot repay any loans from the Company, The Company should unconditionally forgive any such loans to Baidu Netcom given that Baidu Netcom
provides sufficient proof for its loss and incapacity to repay. The agreement will terminate when the shareholders of Baidu Netcom have transferred all
their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to the Company or its designated person(s) or upon expiration of the term of business of the Company or Baidu
Netcom.
Each of the exclusive equity purchase and transfer option agreement/exclusive purchase option agreement amongst the Company, Baidu Online, Beijing
Perusal and its shareholders and iQIYI, Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI and its shareholders contains substantially the same terms as those
described above, except that the original term of the amended and restated exclusive purchase option agreement amongst iQIYI, Beijing QIYI Century,
Beijing iQIYI and its shareholder dated January 30, 2013 is ten years, which has been extended for another ten years in December 2020, and can be
further renewed at iQIYI’s discretion.
Commitment Letters
Pursuant to the commitment letter dated January 30, 2013, under the condition that Beijing iQIYI remains as a consolidated affiliated entity of iQIYI
under United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) and the relevant contractual arrangements remain in effect, iQIYI commits
to provide unlimited financial support to Beijing iQIYI, if Beijing iQIYI requires any form of reasonable financial support for its normal business
operations. If Beijing iQIYI incurs any losses and as a result cannot repay its loans from iQIYI and Beijing QIYI Century, one of iQIYI’s subsidiaries,
iQIYI and Beijing QIYI Century would unconditionally forgive their loans to Beijing iQIYI, if Beijing iQIYI provides sufficient proof for its loss and
incapacity to repay.
The commitment letters executed by other iQIYI VIEs contain terms similar to the terms described above.
Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney
Pursuant to the proxy agreement between the Company and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the shareholders of Baidu Netcom agreed to entrust all
the rights to exercise their voting power and any other rights as shareholders of Baidu Netcom to the person(s) designated by the Company. The
shareholders of Baidu Netcom have each executed an irrevocable power of attorney to appoint the person(s) designated by the Company as their
attorney-in-fact to vote on their behalf on all matters requiring shareholder approval. The proxy agreement would be in effect for an unlimited term
unless terminated in writing by the Company. The power of attorney would be in effect for as long as the shareholders of Baidu Netcom hold any equity
interests in Baidu Netcom.
Each of the proxy agreements or shareholder voting rights trust agreements amongst the Company or other subsidiaries and the shareholders of Beijing
Perusal and other VIEs contains substantially the same terms as those described above. Each of the proxy agreements will be in effect for an unlimited
term unless terminated in writing by the Company or other subsidiaries. Each of the powers of attorney will be in effect for as long as the shareholder of
Beijing Perusal or other VIEs, including iQIYI VIEs, holds any equity interests in Beijing Perusal or other VIEs, including iQIYI VIEs, as the case may
be.
Operating Agreement/Business Operation Agreement
Pursuant to the operating agreement amongst Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online provides guidance and
instructions on Baidu Netcom’s daily operations and financial
F-16
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
affairs. Baidu Online has the power to appoint senior executives of Baidu Netcom. The shareholders of Baidu Netcom must appoint the candidates
recommended by Baidu Online as their representatives on Baidu Netcom’s board of directors. In addition, Baidu Online agrees to guarantee Baidu
Netcom’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Baidu Netcom’s business arrangements with any third party. In return, Baidu
Netcom agrees that without the prior consent of Baidu Online, Baidu Netcom will not engage in any transactions that could materially affect the assets,
liabilities, rights or operations of Baidu Netcom, including, without limitation, incurrence or assumption of any indebtedness, sale or purchase of any
assets or rights, incurrence of any encumbrance on any of its assets or intellectual property rights in favor of a third party or transfer of any agreements
relating to its business operation to any third party. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of Baidu Online or
Baidu Netcom expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
The operating agreement amongst Baidu Online, Beijing Perusal and its shareholders contains substantially the same terms as those described above.
Pursuant to the amended and restated business operation agreement amongst Beijing QIYI Century, Beijing iQIYI and its shareholder, Beijing QIYI
Century provides guidance and instructions on Beijing iQIYI’s daily operations and financial affairs. In addition, Beijing QIYI Century agrees to
guarantee Beijing iQIYI’s performance under any agreements or arrangements relating to Beijing iQIYI’s business arrangements with any third party.
The agreement can only be unilaterally revoked by Beijing QIYI Century. The original term of the agreement dated January 30, 2013 is ten years, which
has been extended for another ten years in December 2020, and can be further renewed at Beijing QIYI Century’s discretion.
Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement
Pursuant to the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has the exclusive right
to provide technology consulting and services related to, among other things, the maintenance of servers, software development, design of
advertisements, and e-commerce technical services to Baidu Netcom. Baidu Online owns the intellectual property rights resulting from the performance
of this agreement. Baidu Netcom agrees to pay service fees to Baidu Online and Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion
without the consent of Baidu Netcom. The agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and
extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
Each of the exclusive technology consulting and services agreements between Baidu Online or other subsidiaries and Beijing Perusal or other VIEs,
including iQIYI VIEs, contains substantially the same terms as those described above, except the basis of determining the service fees may differ and
that the original term of the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement between Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI dated
November 23, 2011 is ten years, and has been extended for another ten years in December 2020.
License Agreements
Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom entered into a software license agreement and a web layout copyright license agreement (collectively, the “License
Agreements”). Pursuant to the License Agreements between Baidu Online and Baidu Netcom, Baidu Online has granted to Baidu Netcom the right to
use (including but not limited to) a software license and a web layout copyright license. Baidu Netcom may only use the licenses in its own business
operations. Baidu Online has the right to adjust the service fees at its sole discretion. The software license agreement and web layout copyright license
agreement were renewed since their original expiration and would
F-17
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities.
Baidu Online entered into web layout copyright license agreements with Beijing Perusal. Each of the license agreements between the Baidu Online and
Beijing Perusal or other VIEs contains substantially the same terms as those described above. Each of the web layout copyright license agreements were
renewed in 2013 and would be in effect for an unlimited term, until the term of business of one party expires and extension is denied by the relevant
approval authorities.
Pursuant to the trademark license agreement and the software usage license agreement amongst Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI effective
November 23, 2011, Beijing QIYI Century granted a non-exclusive and non-transferable license, without sublicensing rights, to Beijing iQIYI to use its
trademarks and software. Beijing iQIYI may only use the licenses in its own business operations. Beijing QIYI Century has the right to adjust the
service fees at its sole discretion. The initial term of the two agreements is five years and the software usage license agreement may be extended upon
the written consent of Beijing QIYI Century. The trademark license agreement is automatically extended for successive one-year periods after its
expiration unless Beijing QIYI Century early terminates the agreement in accordance with the provisions of the agreement. The software usage license
agreement was extended for another five years after its initial term, and was extended for another ten years in December 2020.
Business Cooperation Agreement
Pursuant to the business cooperation agreement amongst Beijing QIYI Century and Beijing iQIYI effective November 23, 2011, Beijing iQIYI agrees to
provide Beijing QIYI Century with services, including internet information services, online advertising and other services reasonably necessary within
the scope of Beijing QIYI Century’s business. Beijing iQIYI agrees to use, technology services provided by Beijing QIYI Century on its website,
including but not limited to, P2P download and video on-demand systems. Beijing QIYI Century agrees to pay specified service fees to Beijing iQIYI as
consideration for the internet information services and other services provided by Beijing iQIYI. Beijing iQIYI has the right to waive the service fees at
its discretion. The original term of this agreement is ten years, which has been extended for another ten years in December 2020, and can be further
renewed at Beijing QIYI Century’s discretion.
Equity Pledge Agreement
Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement between Baidu Online and the shareholders of Baidu Netcom, the shareholders of Baidu Netcom pledged all of
their equity interests in Baidu Netcom to Baidu Online to guarantee their obligations under the loan agreement and Baidu Netcom’s performance of its
obligations under the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement. If Baidu Netcom or its shareholders breach their respective contractual
obligations, Baidu Online, as the pledgee, will be entitled to certain rights, including the right to sell the pledged equity interests. The shareholders of
Baidu Netcom agreed not to dispose of the pledged equity interests or take any actions that would prejudice Baidu Online’s interest. The equity pledge
agreement will expire two years after expiration of the term or the fulfillment by Baidu Netcom and its shareholders of their respective obligations under
the exclusive technology consulting and services agreement and the loan agreement.
Each of the equity pledge agreements amongst Baidu Online or other subsidiaries and the shareholders of Beijing Perusal or other VIEs, including iQIYI
VIEs, contains substantially the same terms, including its term to expiration, as those described above.
F-18
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Through the design of the aforementioned agreements, the shareholders of the VIEs effectively assigned their full voting rights to Baidu Online, which
gives Baidu Online the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the VIEs’ economic performance. Baidu Online obtains the ability to
approve decisions made by the VIEs and the ability to acquire the equity interests in the VIEs when permitted by PRC law. Baidu Online is obligated to
absorb losses or receive economic benefits of the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs through providing unlimited financial support to
the VIEs or is entitled to receive economic benefits from the VIEs that could potentially be significant to the VIEs through the exclusive technology
consulting and service fees. As a result of these contractual agreements, Baidu Online is determined to be the primary beneficiary of the VIEs. Despite
the lack of technical majority ownership, there exists a parent-subsidiary relationship between the Company and the VIEs through these contractual
agreements, and the Company consolidates the VIEs through Baidu Online.
Through the Contractual Arrangements, the shareholders of the VIEs effectively assigned all of their voting rights underlying their equity interest in
iQIYI VIEs to iQIYI. In addition, through the other exclusive agreements, which consist of the operation agreements, business cooperating agreements,
exclusive technology consulting and services agreements and trademark and software usage license agreements, iQIYI, through its wholly-owned
subsidiaries in the PRC, have the right to receive economic benefits from iQIYI VIEs that potentially could be significant to iQIYI VIEs. Lastly, through
the commitment letters, iQIYI has the obligation to absorb losses of iQIYI VIEs that could potentially be significant to iQIYI VIEs. Therefore, iQIYI is
considered the primary beneficiary of iQIYI VIEs and consolidates iQIYI VIEs and their subsidiaries.
In the opinion of the Company’s legal counsel, (i) the ownership structure relating to the VIEs of the Company is in compliance with PRC laws and
regulations; (ii) the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their shareholders are legal, valid and binding obligation of such party, and enforceable
against such party in accordance with their respective terms; and (iii) the execution, delivery and performance of the VIEs and their shareholders do not
result in any violation of the provisions of the articles of association and business licenses of the VIEs, and any violation of any current PRC laws and
regulations.
However, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could cause the Company’s current ownership structure to be found in violation of any existing and/or
future PRC laws or regulations and could limit the Company’s ability, through the Primary Beneficiaries, to enforce its rights under these contractual
arrangements. Furthermore, shareholders of the VIEs may have interests that are different with those of the Company, which could potentially increase
the risk that they would seek to breach the existing terms of the aforementioned agreements.
In addition, if the current structure or any of the contractual arrangements were found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws, the
Company may be subject to penalties, which may include but not be limited to, the cancellation or revocation of the Company’s business and operating
licenses, being required to restructure the Company’s operations or discontinue the Company’s operating activities. The imposition of any of these or
other penalties may result in a material and adverse effect on the Company’s ability to conduct its operations. In such case, the Company may not be
able to operate or control the VIEs, which may result in deconsolidation of the VIEs.
F-19
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The following tables set forth the financial statement balances and amounts of the VIEs and their subsidiaries were included in the consolidated financial
statements after the elimination of intercompany balances and transactions among VIEs and their subsidiaries within the Group.
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments, net
Accounts receivable, net
Others
Total current assets
Fixed assets, net
Intangible assets, net
Licensed copyrights, net
Produced content, net
Long-term investments, net
Operating lease right-of-use assets
Others
Total non-current assets
Total
Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Customer deposits and deferred revenue
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total current third-party liabilities
Operating lease liabilities
Others
Total non-current third-party liabilities
Amounts due to the Company and its non-VIE subsidiaries, net
Total
As of December 31,
2021
2020
RMB RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
2,348 2,879
452
469
6,930 2,986
6,151 7,490 1,175
8,560 8,074 1,268
23,989 21,429 3,364
4,978 8,905 1,397
253
1,499 1,614
359
993 2,289
6,130 10,426 1,636
20,707 23,104 3,626
6,460 7,076 1,110
7,717 10,697 1,678
48,484 64,111 10,059
72,473 85,540 13,423
14,363 18,352 2,880
949
5,991 6,050
411
2,068 2,619
561
2,629 3,571
25,051 30,592 4,801
824
4,376 5,253
162
1,143 1,033
5,519 6,286
986
19,592 28,632 4,493
50,162 65,510 10,280
The carrying amounts of the assets, liabilities and the results of operations of the VIEs and their subsidiaries are presented in aggregate due to the
similarity of the purpose and design of the VIEs and their subsidiaries, the nature of the assets in these VIEs and their subsidiaries and the type of the
involvement of the Company in these VIEs and their subsidiaries.
F-20
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Total revenues
Net (loss) income
Net cash provided by operating activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(In millions)
51,988
(2,950)
1,649
(4,829)
3,604
52,666
2,091
4,616
(8,382)
3,859
61,380
(220)
4,121
(7,551)
3,999
9,632
(35)
647
(1,185)
628
As of December 31, 2021 there was no pledge or collateralization of the VIEs’ assets that can only be used to settle obligations of the VIEs, other than
aforementioned in the equity pledge agreements and collateralization of a VIE’s office building or restricted cash as described in Note 12. The amount
of the net assets of the VIEs was RMB20.0 billion (US$3.1 billion) as of December 31, 2021. The creditors of the VIEs’ third-party liabilities did not
have recourse to the general credit of the Company in normal course of business. The Company did not provide or intend to provide financial or other
supports not previously contractually required to the VIEs during the years presented.
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”).
Effective on March 1, 2021, each share of Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and preferred shares of a par value of US$0.00005 each in
the share capital of the Company (including authorized issued and unissued Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and preferred shares)
was sub-divided into 80 shares of a par value of US$0.000000625 each (the “Share Subdivision”). Following the Share Subdivision, the authorized
share capital of the Company will be US$43,520 divided into 66,000,000,000 Class A ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.000000625 each,
2,832,000,000 Class B ordinary shares of a par value of US$0.000000625 each and 800,000,000 preferred shares of a par value of US$0.000000625
each. The number of issued and unissued Class A ordinary shares, Class B ordinary shares and preferred shares as disclosed elsewhere in the
consolidated financial statements are presented on a basis after taking into account the effects of the Share Subdivision and have been retrospectively
adjusted, where applicable. Simultaneously with the Share Subdivision, the change in ratio of the Company’s ADS to Class A ordinary share (the “ADS
Ratio Change”) also became effective. Following the ADS Ratio Change, each ADS now represents eight Class A ordinary shares. Previously, ten ADSs
represented one Class A ordinary share. Given that the ADS Ratio Change was exactly proportionate to the Share Subdivision, no new ADSs were
issued to any ADS holder and the total number of the Company’s outstanding ADSs remains unchanged immediately after the Share Subdivision and the
ADS Ratio Change became effective.
2.
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company, its subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs. All inter-
company transactions and balances between the Company, its subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs are eliminated upon consolidation. The
Company included the results of operations of the acquired businesses from their respective dates of acquisition.
F-21
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Comparative Information
Certain items in the financial information of the VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries have been adjusted to conform with the current year’s presentation to
facilitate comparison.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the
reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported
amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Management evaluates estimates, including those related to the standalone selling prices of
performance obligations and amounts of variable considerations of revenue contracts, the allowance for credit losses of accounts receivable, contract
assets, receivables from online payment agencies, amounts due from related parties and debt securities, fair values of certain debt and equity
investments, future viewership consumption patterns and useful lives of licensed copyrights and produced content, future revenues generated by the
broadcasting and sublicensing rights of content assets (licensed and produced), ultimate revenue of produced content predominantly monetized on its
own, fair values of licensed copyrights and produced contents monetized as a film group or individually, fair value of nonmonetary content exchanges,
the useful lives of our property and equipment, impairment of long-lived assets, long-term investments and goodwill, the purchase price allocation and
fair value of pre-existing equity interests, noncontrolling interests and redeemable noncontrolling interests with respect to business combinations,
deferred tax valuation allowance, the fair value of share-based awards and estimated forfeitures for share-based awards among others. Management
bases the estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for
making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates.
Change in Accounting Estimate
In 2021, the Company reviewed and revised the estimated useful life of its servers from four years to five years. As a result of these revisions,
depreciation expense decreased by RMB982 million (US$154 million), net income increased by RMB814 million (US$128 million), and basic and
diluted net earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary share increased by RMB0.28 (US$0.04) and RMB0.28 (US$0.04), respectively, for the year ended
December 31, 2021.
Currency Translation for Financial Statements Presentation
Translations of amounts from RMB into US dollar $ (USD) for the convenience of the reader have been calculated at the exchange rate of RMB6.3726
per US$1.00 on December 30, 2021, the last business day in fiscal year 2021, as published on the website of the United States Federal Reserve Board.
No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars at such rate.
Foreign Currency
The Company’s functional currency is the US$. The Company’s subsidiaries, VIEs and subsidiaries of the VIEs determine their functional currencies
based on the criteria of ASC Topic 830, Foreign Currency Matters. The Company uses the RMB as its reporting currency. The Company uses the
exchange rate as of the balance sheet date to translate its assets and liabilities and the average daily exchange rate for each month to translate its income
and expense items to reporting currency. Any translation gains (losses) are recorded in other
F-22
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
comprehensive (loss) income. Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are measured and recorded into the functional currency at the exchange
rates prevailing on the transaction dates. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies other than functional currency are remeasured into the
functional currency at the exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date. Exchange gains and losses are included in earnings as a component of
“Other (loss) income, net.”
Segment Reporting
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the Company had two reportable segments, Baidu Core and iQIYI. Baidu Core mainly provides search-based, feed-
based and other online marketing services, as well as products and services from its new AI initiatives. iQIYI is an online entertainment service provider
that offers original, professionally produced and partner-generated content on its platform. In early April 2018, iQIYI completed its initial public
offering (“IPO”) on the Nasdaq Global Market.
The Company’s chief executive officer, who has been identified as the chief operating decision marker (“CODM”), reviews the operating results of
Baidu Core and iQIYI, to allocate resources and assess the Company’s performance. Accordingly, the financial statements include segment information
which reflects the current composition of the reportable segments in accordance with ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting.
Business Combinations
The Company accounts for its business combinations using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business
Combinations. The purchase method of accounting requires that the consideration transferred to be allocated to the assets, including separately
identifiable assets and liabilities the Company acquired, based on their estimated fair values. The consideration transferred in an acquisition is measured
as the aggregate of the fair values at the date of exchange of the assets given, liabilities incurred, and equity instruments issued as well as the contingent
considerations as of the acquisition date. The costs directly attributable to the acquisition are expensed as incurred. Identifiable assets, liabilities and
contingent liabilities acquired or assumed are measured separately at their fair value as of the acquisition date, irrespective of the extent of any
noncontrolling interests. The excess of (i) the total of cost of acquisition, fair value of the noncontrolling interests and acquisition date fair value of any
previously held equity interests in the acquiree over (ii) the fair value of the identifiable net assets of the acquiree, is recorded as goodwill. If the cost of
acquisition is less than the fair value of the net assets of the subsidiary acquired, the difference is recognized directly in earnings.
In a business combination achieved in stages, the Company remeasures its previously held equity interest in the acquiree immediately before obtaining
control at its acquisition-date fair value and the re-measurement gain or loss, if any, is recognized in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
The determination and allocation of fair values to the identifiable assets acquired, liabilities assumed and noncontrolling interests is based on various
assumptions and valuation methodologies requiring considerable judgment from management. The most significant variables in these valuations are
discount rates, the number of years on which to base the cash flow projections, as well as the assumptions and estimates used to determine the cash
inflows and outflows. The Company determines discount rates to be used based on the risk inherent in the related activity’s current business model and
industry comparisons.
F-23
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash
Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash, money market funds, investments in interest bearing demand deposit accounts, time deposits and
highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase and are stated at cost which approximates their fair
value.
Restricted cash
Restricted cash mainly represents amounts deposited and held in escrow for the acquisition of YY live which has not been closed yet and cash pledged
for short-term facilities.
Accounts Receivable and Contract Assets, net
Accounts receivable and contract assets are recognized and carried at the original invoiced amount less an allowance for credit losses. The Company
maintains an allowance for credit losses in accordance with ASC Topic 326, Credit Losses (“ASC 326”) and records the allowance for credit losses as an
offset to accounts receivable and contract assets, and the estimated credit losses charged to the allowance is classified as “Selling, general and
administrative” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. The Company assesses collectability by reviewing accounts receivable
and contract assets on a collective basis where similar characteristics exist, primarily based on similar business line, service or product offerings and on
an individual basis when the Company identifies specific customers with known disputes or collectability issues. In determining the amount of the
allowance for credit losses, the Company considers historical collectability based on past due status, the age of the accounts receivable balances and
contract assets balances, credit quality of the Company’s customers based on ongoing credit evaluations, current economic conditions, reasonable and
supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, and other factors that may affect the Company’s ability to collect from customers.
Receivables from Online Payment Agencies, net
Receivables from online payment agencies are funds due from the third-party online payment service providers for clearing transactions. Funds were
paid or deposited by customers or users through these online payment agencies for services provided by the Company. The Company considers and
monitors the credit worthiness of the third-party payment service providers and recognizes credit losses based on ongoing credit evaluations. Receivable
balances are written off when they are deemed uncollectible. The balances are included in “Other current assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, no allowance for credit losses was provided for the receivables from online payment agencies.
Investments
Short-term investments
All highly liquid investments with original maturities less than twelve months are classified as short-term investments. Investments that are expected to
be realized in cash during the next twelve months are also included in short-term investments.
The Company accounts for short-term debt investments in accordance with ASC Topic 320, Investments – Debt Securities (“ASC 320”). The Company
classifies the short-term investments in debt securities as
F-24
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
held-to-maturity, trading or available-for-sale, whose classification determines the respective accounting methods stipulated by ASC 320. Dividend and
interest income, including amortization of the premium and discount arising at acquisition, for all categories of investments in securities are included in
earnings. Any realized gains or losses on the sale of the short-term investments are determined on a specific identification method, and such gains and
losses are reflected in earnings during the period in which gains or losses are realized.
Securities that the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity securities and stated at amortized
cost less allowance for credit losses.
Securities that are bought and held principally for the purpose of selling them in the near term are classified as trading securities, in accordance with
ASC 320. Unrealized holding gains and losses for trading securities are included in earnings.
Debt investments not classified as trading or as held-to-maturity are classified as available-for-sale debt securities, which are reported at fair value, with
unrealized gains and losses recorded in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” on the consolidated balance sheets.
The allowance for credit losses of the held-to-maturity debt securities reflects the Company’s estimated expected losses over the contractual lives of the
held-to-maturity debt securities and is charged to “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. Estimated allowance for
credit losses is determined by considering reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions in addition to information about past
events and current conditions. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the allowance for credit losses provided for the held-to-maturity debt securities held
by the Company was 285 million and 338 million (US$53 million), respectively.
Long-term investments
The Company’s long-term investments consist of equity method investments, equity investments with readily determinable fair value, equity
investments without readily determinable fair value, equity investments in private equity funds, other investments accounted for at fair value,
held-to-maturity debt investments and available-for-sale debt investments.
Investments in entities in which the Company can exercise significant influence but does not own a majority equity interest or control are accounted for
using the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC Topic 323, Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (“ASC 323”). Under the
equity method, the Company initially records its investment at cost and the difference between the cost of the equity investee and the amount of the
underlying equity in the net assets of the equity investee is accounted for as if the investee were a consolidated subsidiary. The Company subsequently
adjusts the carrying amount of its investment to recognize the Company’s proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss into earnings
after the date of investment and its share of each equity investee’s movement in accumulated other comprehensive income or loss is recognize in other
comprehensive (loss) income. When calculating its proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss, the Group adjusts the net income or
loss of equity investee to include accretion of preferred stock that is classified in temporary equity in the investee’s financial statements, into earnings.
The Company will discontinue applying the equity method if an investment (plus additional financial support provided to the investee, if any) has been
reduced to zero. When the Company has other investments in its equity-method investee and is not required to advance additional funds to that investee,
the Company would continue to report its share of equity method losses in its consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income after its equity-
method investment in ordinary shares has been reduced to zero, to the extent of and as an adjustment to the adjusted basis of the Company’s other
investments in the investee. Such losses are first applied
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
to those investments of a lower liquidation preference before being further applied to the investments of a higher liquidation preference. The Company
adopted a one-quarter lag in reporting for its share of equity income/(loss) in majority of its equity method investees.
The Company evaluates its equity method investments for impairment at each reporting date, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances
indicate that the carrying amount of the investment might not be recoverable. Factors considered by the Company when determining whether an
investment has been other-than-temporarily-impaired, include, but are not limited to, the length of the time and the extent to which the market value has
been less than cost, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investee, and the Company’s intent and ability to retain the investment until
the recovery of its cost. An impairment loss on the equity method investments is recognized in earnings when the decline in value is determined to be
other-than-temporary and is allocated to the individual net assets underlying equity method investments in the following order: 1) reduce any equity
method goodwill to zero; 2) reduce the individual basis differences related to the investee’s long-lived assets pro rata based on their amounts relative to
the overall basis difference at the impairment date; and 3) reduce the individual basis difference of the investee’s remaining assets in a systematic and
rational manner.
For equity investments in private equity funds, over which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence, are measured using
the net asset value per share based on the practical expedient in ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”) (“NAV
practical expedient”).
For equity securities without readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the NAV practical expedient, the Company elected to use the
measurement alternative to measure those investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in
orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, if any. Significant judgments are required to determine (i) whether observable
price changes are orderly transactions and identical or similar to an investment held by the Company; and (ii) the selection of appropriate valuation
methodologies and underlying assumptions, including expected volatility and the probability of exit events as it relates to liquidation and redemption
features used to measure the price adjustments for the difference in rights and obligations between instruments. Equity securities with readily
determinable fair values are measured at fair value, and any changes in fair value are recognized in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
For equity investments measured at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in earnings, the Company does not assess whether those securities are
impaired. For equity investments that the Company elects to use the measurement alternative, the Company makes a qualitative assessment considering
impairment indicators to evaluate whether investments are impaired at each reporting date. Impairment indicators considered include, but are not limited
to, a significant deterioration in the earnings performance or business prospects of the investee, including factors that raise significant concerns about the
investee’s ability to continue as a going concern, a significant adverse change in the regulatory, economic, or technologic environment of the investee
and a significant adverse change in the general market condition of either the geographical area or the industry in which the investee operates. If a
qualitative assessment indicates that the investment is impaired, the entity has to estimate the investment’s fair value in accordance with the principles of
ASC 820. If the fair value is less than the investment’s carrying value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in earnings equal to the difference
between the carrying value and fair value.
In accordance with ASC Subtopic 946-320, Financial Services—Investment Companies, Investments—Debt and Equity Securities (“ASC 946-320”), the
Company accounts for long-term equity investments in unlisted companies held by consolidated investment companies at fair value. These investments
were initially recorded at their transaction price net of transaction costs, if any. Fair values of these investments are re-measured at each reporting date in
accordance with ASC 820.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Investments that the Company has positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held-to-maturity investments and stated at amortized
cost less allowance for credit losses.
Available-for-sale debt investments are convertible debt instruments issued by private companies and investments in preferred shares that are
redeemable at the Company’s option, which are measured at fair value. Interest income is recognized in earnings. All other changes in the carrying
amount of these debt investments are recognized in other comprehensive (loss) income.
Adoption of ASU 2020-01
In January 2020, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2020-01, Investments—Equity
Securities (Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815)—Clarifying the
Interactions between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815 (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) (“ASU 2020-01”), which clarifies the
interactions of the accounting for certain equity securities under ASC 321, investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting in ASC
323, and the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options accounted for under ASC 815. ASU 2020-01 could change how an entity
accounts for (i) an equity security under the measurement alternative and (ii) a forward contract or purchased option to purchase securities that, upon
settlement of the forward contract or exercise of the purchased option, would be accounted for under the equity method of accounting or the fair value
option in accordance with ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments. These amendments improve current U.S. GAAP by reducing diversity in practice and
increasing comparability of the accounting for these interactions. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal
years, beginning after December 31, 2020. The Company adopted this guidance on January 1, 2021 with no material impact on its audited consolidated
financial statements.
Fair Value Measurements of Financial Instruments
Financial instruments are in the form of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, accounts receivable, amounts due from and
due to related parties, other receivables, long-term investments, short-term loans, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, customer deposits, derivative
instruments, notes payable, convertible senior notes and long-term loans. Except for the current portion of long-term loans and notes payables, the
carrying values of the aforementioned financial instruments included in current assets and liabilities approximate their respective fair values because of
their general short maturities. The carrying amounts of long-term loans approximate fair values as the related interest rates currently offered by financial
institutions for similar debt instruments of comparable maturities. The fair value of long-term investments, notes payable and convertible senior notes
that are not reported at fair value are disclosed in Note 25.
Fixed Assets
Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the estimated useful
lives of the assets or the term of the related lease, as follows:
Office building
Office building related facility, machinery and equipment
Computer equipment
Office equipment
Vehicles
Leasehold improvements
– 43 to 45 years
– 10 to 15 years
– 3 to 5 years
– 3 to 5 years
– 5 years
– over the shorter of lease terms or estimated useful lives of the assets
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Fixed assets have no estimated residual value except for the office building and its related facility, machinery and equipment, which mainly have an
estimated residual value of 4% of the cost.
Repair and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred, whereas the cost of renewals and betterments that extend the useful life of fixed assets
are capitalized as additions to the related assets. Retirements, sales and disposals of assets are recorded by removing the cost and accumulated
depreciation from the asset and accumulated depreciation accounts with any resulting gain or loss reflected in earnings. All direct and indirect costs that
are related to the construction of fixed assets and incurred before the assets are ready for their intended use are capitalized as construction in progress.
Construction in progress is transferred to specific fixed assets items and depreciation of these assets commences when they are ready for their intended
use.
Interest costs are capitalized if they are incurred during the acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset and such costs could have been
avoided if expenditures for the assets have not been made. Capitalization of interest costs commences when the activities to prepare the asset are in
progress and expenditures and borrowing costs are being incurred. Interest costs are capitalized until the assets are ready for their intended use. Interest
costs capitalized for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were insignificant.
Licensed Copyrights, net
Licensed copyrights consist of professionally-produced content such as films, television series, variety shows and other video content acquired from
external parties. The license fees are capitalized and, unless prepaid, a corresponding liability is recorded when the cost of the content is known, the
content is accepted by the Company in accordance with the conditions of the license agreement and the content is available for its first showing on the
Company’s websites. Licensed copyrights are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as current and non-current based on estimated time of usage.
The Company’s licensed copyrights include the right to broadcast and, in some instances, the right to sublicense. The broadcasting right, refers to the
right to broadcast the content on its own websites and the sublicensing right, refers to the right to sublicense the underlying content to external parties.
When licensed copyrights include both broadcasting and sublicensing rights, the content costs are allocated to these two rights upon initial recognition,
based on the relative proportion of the estimated total revenues that will be generated by each right over its estimated useful lives.
For the right to broadcast the contents on its own websites that generates online advertising and membership services revenues, based on factors
including historical and estimated future viewership patterns, the content costs are amortized using an accelerated method by content categories over the
shorter of each content’s contractual period or estimated useful lives within ten years, beginning with the month of first availability. Content categories
accounting for most of the Company’s content include newly released drama series, newly released movies, animations, library drama series and library
movies. Estimates of future viewership consumption patterns and estimated useful lives are reviewed periodically, at least on an annual basis and
revised, if necessary. Revisions to the amortization patterns are accounted for as a change in accounting estimate prospectively in accordance with ASC
Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections (“ASC 250”). For the right to sublicense the content to external parties that generates direct
content distribution revenues, the content costs are amortized based on its estimated usage pattern and recorded as cost of revenues.
Cash paid for content, which includes both licensed copyrights and produced content, is RMB19.3 billion (US$3.0 billion) for the year ended
December 31, 2021.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Produced Content, net
The Company produces original content in-house and collaborates with external parties. Produced content primarily consists of films, episodic series,
variety shows and animations. The costs incurred in the physical production of original content include direct production costs, production overhead and
acquisition costs. Produced content also includes cash expenditures made to acquire a proportionate share of certain rights to films including profit
sharing, distribution and/or other rights. Exploitation costs are expensed as incurred. Participation costs are accrued using the individual-film-forecast-
computation method, which recognizes the costs in the same ratio as the associated ultimate revenue. Production costs for original content that are
predominantly monetized in a film group are capitalized. Production costs for original content predominantly monetized on its own are capitalized to the
extent that they are recoverable from total revenues expected to be earned (“ultimate revenue”); otherwise, they are expensed as cost of revenues.
Ultimate revenue estimates include revenue expected to be earned from all sources, including exhibition, licensing, or exploitation of produced content
if the Company has demonstrated a history of earning such revenue. The Company estimates ultimate revenue to be earned during the estimated useful
lives of produced content based on anticipated release patterns and historical results of similar produced content, which are identified based on various
factors, including cast and crew, target audience and popularity. The capitalized production costs are reported separately as noncurrent assets with
caption of “Produced content, net” on the consolidated balance sheets.
Based on factors including historical and estimated future viewership consumption patterns, the Company amortizes film costs for produced content that
is predominantly monetized in a film group. For produced content that is monetized on its own, the Company considers historical and estimated usage
patterns to determine the pattern of amortization for film costs. Based on the estimated patterns, the Company amortizes produced content using an
accelerated method over its estimated useful lives within ten years, beginning with the month of first availability and such costs are included in “Cost of
revenues” in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).
Impairment of licensed copyrights and produced contents
The Company’s business model is mainly subscription and advertising based, as such the majority of the Company’s content assets (licensed copyrights
and produced content) are predominantly monetized with other content assets, whereas a smaller portion of the Company’s content assets are
predominantly monetized at a specific title level such as variety shows and investments in a proportionate share of certain rights to films including profit
sharing, distribution and/or other rights. Because the identifiable cash flows related to content launched on the Company’s Mainland China platform are
largely independent of the cash flows of other content launched on the Company’s overseas platform, the Company has identified two separate film
groups. The Company reviews its film groups and individual content for impairment when there are events or changes in circumstances that indicate the
fair value of a film group or individual content may be less than its unamortized costs. Examples of such events or changes in circumstances include, a
significant adverse change in technological, regulatory, legal, economic, or social factors that could affect the fair value of the film group or the public’s
perception of a film or the availability of a film for future showings, a significant decrease in the number of subscribers or forecasted subscribers, or the
loss of a major distributor, a change in the predominant monetization strategy of a film that is currently monetized on its own, actual costs substantially
in excess of budgeted costs, substantial delays in completion or release schedules, or actual performance subsequent to release failing to meet
expectations set before release such as a significant decrease in the amount of ultimate revenue expected to be recognized.
When such events or changes in circumstances are identified, the Company assesses whether the fair value of an individual content (or film group) is
less than its unamortized film costs, determines the fair value of an individual content (or film group) and recognizes an impairment charge for the
amount by which the unamortized
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
capitalized costs exceed the individual content’s (or film group’s) fair value. The Company mainly uses a discounted cash flow approach to determine
the fair value of an individual content or film group, for which the most significant inputs include the forecasted future revenues, costs and operating
expenses attributable to an individual content or the film group and the discount rate. An impairment loss attributable to a film group is allocated to
individual licensed copyrights and produced content within the film group on a pro rata basis using the relative carrying values of those assets as the
Company cannot estimate the fair value of individual contents in the film group without undue cost and effort.
Impact of COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve. There are still uncertainties of COVID-19’s future impact, and the extent of the impact will depend on a
number of factors, including the duration and severity of COVID-19, possibility of Delta and Omicron outbreak, the development and progress of
distribution of COVID-19 vaccine and other medical treatment, the potential change in user behavior, especially on internet usage due to the prolonged
impact of COVID-19, the actions taken by government authorities, particularly to contain the outbreak, stimulate the economy to improve business
condition especially for small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) , almost all of which are beyond the Company’s control. As a result, certain of the
Company’s estimates and assumptions, including the allowance for credit losses, the valuation of certain debt and equity investments, long-term
investments, content assets and long-lived assets subject to impairment assessments require significant judgments and involve a higher degree of
variability and volatility that could result in material changes to the Company’s current estimates in future periods.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired in a business combination. The Company
assesses goodwill for impairment in accordance with ASC Subtopic 350-20, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other: Goodwill (“ASC 350-20”), which
requires that goodwill to be tested for impairment at the reporting unit level at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of certain events,
as defined by ASC 350-20.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has two reporting units, consisting of Baidu Core and iQIYI. In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company
changed its reporting units to Baidu Core excluding Smart Living Group (“SLG”), SLG and iQIYI, as the discrete financial information of SLG is
available and segment management begins to regularly review operating results of SLG. The goodwill was reassigned to the reporting units affected
using a relative fair value allocation approach.
The Company has the option to assess qualitative factors first to determine whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative test in accordance with
ASC 350-20. In the qualitative assessment, the Company considers primary factors such as industry and market considerations, overall financial
performance of the reporting unit, and other specific information related to the operations. If the Company believes, as a result of the qualitative
assessment, that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test
described above is required. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The quantitative impairment test compares the fair value of the reporting unit with
its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an
amount equal to that excess.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The Company performed qualitative assessments for the reporting unit of Baidu Core in 2020 and Baidu Core excluding SLG and SLG in 2021. Based
on the requirements of ASC 350-20, the Company evaluated all relevant factors including, but not limited to, macroeconomic conditions, industry and
market conditions, financial performance, and the share price of the Company. The Company weighed all factors in their entirety and concluded that it
was not more-likely-than-not the fair value was less than the carrying amount of Baidu Core excluding SLG and SLG, and further impairment testing on
goodwill was unnecessary as of December 31, 2020 and 2021.
The Company elected to choose to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to perform quantitative test for the reporting unit of iQIYI.
Subsequent to iQIYI’s IPO, the Company primarily considered the quoted market price of iQIYI’s share to determine the fair value of the reporting unit.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the fair value of iQIYI exceeded its carrying amount, therefore, goodwill related to the iQIYI reporting unit was not
impaired and the Company was not required to perform further testing.
On disposal of a portion of reporting unit that constitutes a business, the attributable amount of goodwill is included in the determination of the amount
of gain or loss recognized upon disposal. When the Group disposes of a business within the reporting unit, the amount of goodwill disposed is measured
on the basis of the relative fair value of the business disposed and the portion of the reporting unit retained. This relative fair value approach is not used
when the business to be disposed was not integrated into the reporting unit after its acquisition, in which case the current carrying amount of the
acquired goodwill should be included in the carrying amount of the business to be disposed.
Intangible assets
Intangible assets with finite lives are carried at cost less accumulated amortization. All intangible assets with finite lives are amortized using the straight-
line method over their estimated useful lives.
Intangible assets have weighted average useful lives from the date of purchase as follows:
Trademarks
Technology
Intellectual property right
Online literature
Others
– 11 years
– 5 years
– 8 years
– 8 years
– 13 years
Intangible assets with indefinite useful life are not amortized and are tested for impairment annually or more frequently, if events or changes in
circumstances indicate that they might be impaired in accordance with ASC Subtopic 350-30, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other: General Intangibles
Other than Goodwill (“ASC 350-30”).
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets Other Than Goodwill
The Company evaluates long-lived assets, such as fixed assets and purchased or internally developed intangible assets with finite lives other than
licensed copyrights and produced content, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not
be recoverable in accordance with ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment. When such events occur, the Company assesses the recoverability of
the asset group based on the undiscounted future cash flows the asset group is expected to generate and recognizes an impairment loss when estimated
undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset group plus net proceeds expected from disposition of the asset group, if any,
is less than the carrying
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
value of the asset group. If the Company identifies an impairment, the Company reduces the carrying amount of the asset group to its estimated fair
value based on a discounted cash flow approach or, when available and appropriate, to comparable market values and the impairment loss, if any, is
recognized in “Cost of revenues” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. The Company uses estimates and judgments in its
impairment tests and if different estimates or judgments had been utilized, the timing or the amount of any impairment charges could be different. Asset
groups to be disposed of would be reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell, and no longer depreciated. The assets and
liabilities of a disposal group classified as held for sale would be presented separately in the appropriate asset and liability sections of the consolidated
balance sheets.
Leases
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease or contains a lease at lease inception. For operating leases, the Company recognizes an ROU asset
and a lease liability based on the present value of the lease payments over the lease term on the consolidated balance sheets at commencement date. For
finance leases, assets are included in “Other non-current assets” on the consolidated balance sheets. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an
implicit rate, the Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the
present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate is estimated to approximate the interest rate on a collateralized basis with similar terms
and payments, and in economic environments where the leased asset is located. The Company’s leases often include options to extend and lease terms
include such extended terms when the Company is reasonably certain to exercise those options. Lease terms also include periods covered by options to
terminate the leases when the Company is reasonably certain not to exercise those options. Lease expense is recorded on a straight-line basis over the
lease term.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized when control of promised goods or services is transferred to the Company’s customers in an amount of consideration to which an
entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. Revenue is recorded net of valued added taxes (“VAT”).
The Company’s revenue recognition policies are as follows:
Performance-based online marketing services
Cost-per-click (“CPC”)
The Company’s auction-based pay-for-performance (“P4P”) platform enables customers to bid for priority placement of paid sponsored links and reach
users who search for information related to their products or services. P4P online marketing customers can choose from search-based and feed-based
online marketing services, and select criteria for their inventory purchase, such as daily spending limit and user profile targeted, including, but not
limited to, users from specific regions in China and users online during specific time period. Revenue is recognized when all of the revenue recognition
criteria are met, which is generally when a user clicks on one of the customer-sponsored links or feed-based marketing.
Other performance-based online marketing services
To the extent the Company provides online marketing services based on performance criteria other than cost-per-click, such as the number of downloads
(and user registration) of mobile apps and the pre-determined
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
ratios of completed transaction volumes, revenue is recognized when the specified performance criteria are met along with the satisfaction of other
applicable revenue recognition criteria.
Online display advertising services
The Company provides online display advertising services to its customers by integrating text description, image and/or video, and displaying the
advertisement in the search result, in Baidu Feed or on other properties. The Company recognizes revenue on a pro-rata basis over the contractual term
for cost per time advertising arrangements, commencing on the start date of the display advertisement, or based on the number of times that the
advertisement has been displayed for cost per thousand impressions advertising arrangements.
Baidu Union online marketing services
Baidu Union is a program through which the Company expands distribution of its customers’ sponsored links or advertisements by leveraging the traffic
of Baidu Union partners’ online properties. The Company acquires traffic from Baidu Union partners and is responsible for service fulfillment, pricing
and bearing inventory risks. The services which the Company provided to customers through Baidu Union partners’ online properties include CPC,
other performance-based online marketing services and online display advertising services. These services are provided in the same way to customers as
those through Baidu’s own platforms or properties. As principal, the Company recognizes revenue from Baidu Union on a gross basis. Payments made
to Baidu Union partners are recorded as traffic acquisition costs, which are included in “Cost of revenues” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income.
Collection
Certain customers of online marketing services are required to pay a deposit before using the Company’s services and are sent automated reminders to
replenish their accounts when the balance falls below a designated amount. The deposits received are recorded as “Customer deposits and deferred
revenue” on the consolidated balance sheets. The amounts due to the Company are deducted from the deposited amounts when users click on the paid
sponsored links in the search results or other performance criteria have been satisfied. In addition, the Company offers payment terms to some customers
based on their historical marketing placements and credibility. The Company also offers longer payment terms to certain online payment agencies,
consistent with industry practice.
Payment terms and conditions vary by customer and are based on the billing schedule established in the Company’s contracts or purchase orders with
customers, but the Company generally provides credit terms to customers within one year; therefore, the Company has determined that its contracts do
not include a significant financing component.
Sales incentives
The Company provides sales incentives to third-party agents that entitle them to receive price reductions on the online marketing services by meeting
certain cumulative consumption requirements. The Company accounts for these incentives granted to customers as variable consideration and net them
against revenue. The amount of variable consideration is measured based on the most likely amount of incentives to be provided to customers.
Membership services
The Company offers membership services to subscribing members with various privileges, which primarily include access to exclusive and ad-free
streaming of premium content 1080P/4K high-definition video, Dolby
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Audio, and accelerated downloads and others, or personal cloud services. When the receipt of membership fees is for services to be delivered over a
period of time, the receipt is initially recorded as “Customer deposits and deferred revenue” and revenue is recognized ratably over the membership
period as services are rendered. Membership services revenue also includes fees earned from subscribing members for on-demand content purchases and
early access to premium content. The Company is the principal in its relationships where partners, including consumer electronics manufacturers (TVs
and cell phones), mobile operators, internet service providers and online payment agencies, provide access to the membership services or payment
processing services as the Company retains control over its service delivery to its subscribing members. Typically, payments made to the partners, are
recorded as cost of revenues. For the sale of the right to other membership services through strategic cooperation with other parties, the Company
recognizes revenue on a net basis when the Company does not control the specified services before they are transferred to the customer.
Content distribution
The Company generates revenues from sub-licensing content assets for cash or through nonmonetary exchanges mainly with other online video
broadcasting companies. The exclusive licensing agreements the Company enters into with the vendors have a specified license period and provide the
Company rights to sub-license these content assets to other parties. The Company enters into a non-exclusive sub-license agreement with a sub-licensee
for a period that falls within the original exclusive license period. For cash sub-licensing transactions, the Company is entitled to receive the sub-license
fee under the sub-licensing arrangements and does not have any future obligation once it has provided the underlying content to the sub-licensee (which
is provided at or before the beginning of the sub-license period). The sub-licensing of content assets represents a license of functional intellectual
property which grants a right to use the Company’s content assets, and is recognized at the point in time when the content asset is made available for the
customer’s use and benefit.
The Company also enters into nonmonetary transactions to exchange online broadcasting rights of content assets with other online video broadcasting
companies from time to time. The exchanged content assets provide rights for each party to broadcast the content assets received on its own website
only. Each transferring party retains the right to continue broadcasting the exclusive content on its own website and/or sublicense the rights to the
content it surrendered in the exchange. The Company accounts for these nonmonetary exchanges based on the fair value of the asset received. Barter
sublicensing revenues are recognized in accordance with the same revenue recognition criteria above. The Company estimates the fair value of the
content assets received using a market approach based on various factors, including the purchase price of similar non-exclusive and/or exclusive
contents, broadcasting schedule, cast and crew, theme, popularity, and box office. The transaction price of barter transaction revenues is calculated on
the individual content asset basis. For a significant barter sublicensing transaction, the Company further reviews the fair value by analyzing against the
cost of the content assets bartered out and/or engages a third-party valuation firm to assess the reasonableness of its fair value. The attributable cost of
sublicensing transactions, whether for cash or through nonmonetary exchanges, is recognized as cost of revenues through the amortization of the
sublicensing right component of the exclusive content assets.
Cloud services
The Company provides public cloud services, which include computing database, storage and other services to enterprise and personal customers and
allow customers to use hosted software over the contract period without taking possession of the software, generally on either a subscription or
consumption basis. Revenue related to public cloud services provided on a subscription basis is recognized ratably over the contract period. Revenue
related to public cloud services provided on a consumption basis, such as the amount of storage used in a period, is recognized based on the customer
utilization of such resources.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The Company provides software licensing to customers. Software licensing revenues are recognized when earned in accordance with the terms of the
underlying agreement. Generally, revenue is recognized at a point in time when the intellectual property is made available for the customer’s use and
benefit.
The Company provides cloud solutions for customers in specific industries, such as smart transportation, finance, manufacturing, energy, telecom and
media. Revenue related to proprietary cloud services and solutions, which mainly include hardware, software licensing and installation service, is
recognized over time if one of the following criteria is met: (i) the customer simultaneously receives and consumes the benefits as the Company
performs; (ii) the Company’s performance creates or enhances an asset that the customer controls as the asset is created or enhanced; or (iii) the asset
delivered has no alternative use and the Company has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date. Otherwise, revenue is
recognized at a point in time when a customer obtains control of a promised asset or service and the Company satisfies its performance obligation.
The Company also provides accelerated downloads and others, or personal cloud services mentioned in the “membership services”.
Sales of hardware
The Company mainly sells Xiaodu smart device hardware products via third party agents or directly to end customers. Revenue from the sales of
hardware is recognized when control of the goods is transferred to customers, which generally occurs when the products are delivered and accepted by
the customers. Revenue is recorded net of sales incentives and return allowance.
Other revenue recognition related policies
For arrangements that include multiple performance obligations, primarily for advertisements to be displayed in different spots, placed under different
forms and displayed at different times, proprietary cloud services, which mainly include hardware, software licensing and installation service, the
Company would evaluate all of the performance obligations in the arrangement to determine whether each performance obligation is distinct. For
comprehensive smart transportation solutions (“Solutions”) arrangements, the Company provides a significant integration service and the components
are not distinct within the context of the contract because the Company provides a significant level of integration over the solutions and accounted for as
one performance obligation. Consideration is allocated to each performance obligation based on its standalone selling price at contract inception. The
Company generally determines standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to customers on a standalone basis or estimates it using an expected
cost plus margin approach. If a promised good or service does not meet the criteria to be considered distinct, it is combined with other promised goods
or services until a distinct bundle of goods or services exists.
Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. For certain services, customers are required to pay before the
services are delivered to the customer. When either party to a revenue contract has performed, the Company recognizes a contract asset or a contract
liability on the consolidated balance sheets, depending on the relationship between the entity’s performance and the customer’s payment.
Contract liabilities were mainly related to fees for membership services to be provided over the membership period, which were presented as “Customer
deposits and deferred revenue” on the consolidated balance sheets. Balances of contract liabilities were RMB6.7 billion and RMB6.3 billion
(US$1.0 billion) as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Revenue recognized for the year ended December 31, 2021 that was
included in contract liabilities as of January 1, 2021 was RMB4.7 billion (US$735 million).
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Contract assets mainly represent unbilled amounts related to the Company’s rights to consideration for advertising services and cloud services delivered
and are included in “Other current assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, contract assets were
RMB1.8 billion and RMB2.9 billion (US$462 million), net of an allowance for credit losses of RMB27 million and RMB85 million (US$13 million),
respectively. The increase in the balance of contract assets was primarily due to more outstanding cloud service contracts as of December 31, 2021
compared to the prior year for which the Group had commenced to provide but had not completed all specified services in the contract, which
corresponds to when the Group has the right to bill its customers.
The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for (i) contracts with an original expected length of one year or less and
(ii) contracts for which the Company recognizes revenue at the amount to which it has the right to invoice for services performed.
The Company’s disaggregated revenue disclosures are presented in Note 24.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues consists primarily of traffic acquisition costs, bandwidth costs, depreciation, content costs, payroll, cost of hardware sold and related
costs of operations.
Traffic acquisition costs represent the amounts paid or payable to Baidu Union partners who direct search queries to the Company’s websites or
distribute the Company’s customers’ paid links through their properties. These payments are primarily based on revenue sharing arrangements under
which the Company pays its Baidu Union partners and other business partners a percentage of the fees it earns from its online marketing customers.
Advertising and Promotional Expenses
Advertising and promotional expenses, including advertisements through various forms of media and kinds of marketing and promotional activities, are
included in “Selling, general and administrative” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income and are expensed when incurred.
Advertising and promotional expenses for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were RMB10.5 billion, RMB8.4 billion and
RMB12.2 billion (US$1.9 billion), respectively.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of personnel-related costs. The Company expenses research and development costs as they are
incurred, except for (i) costs to develop internal-use software or add significant upgrades and enhancements resulting in additional functionality to
internal-use software that meet the capitalization criteria in accordance with ASC Subtopic 350-40, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, Internal-Use
Software; and (ii) costs incurred to develop software to be sold/licensed or embedded in its products sold to customers, which are capitalized once
technology feasibility is established, which is when a completed detail program design of the product is available in accordance with ASC 950-20, Costs
of Software to be Sold, Leased or Marketed. Capitalized software development costs have not been material for the periods presented.
Government Subsidies
Government subsidies primarily consist of financial subsidies received from provincial and local governments for operating a business in their
jurisdictions and compliance with specific policies promoted by the local
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
governments. For certain government subsidies, there are no defined rules and regulations to govern the criteria necessary for companies to receive such
benefits, and the amount of financial subsidy is determined at the discretion of the relevant government authorities. The government subsidies of
non-operating nature with no further conditions to be met are recorded as non-operating income in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive (loss) income when received. The government subsidies with certain operating conditions are recorded as “Deferred income” when
received and is recognized as income in “Others, net” or as a reduction of specific operating costs and expenses when the conditions are met for which
the grants are intended to compensate. If the government subsidies are related to an asset, it is recognized as a deduction of the carrying amount of the
asset when the conditions are met and then recognized ratably over the expected useful life of the related asset as a reduction to the related amortization
or depreciation in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes income taxes under the liability method. Deferred income taxes are recognized for differences between the financial reporting
and tax bases of assets and liabilities at enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company records a
valuation allowance against the amount of deferred tax assets that it determines is not more-likely-than-not to be realized. The effect on deferred taxes of
a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period that includes the enactment date.
Deferred income taxes are recognized on the undistributed earnings of subsidiaries, which are presumed to be transferred to the parent company and are
subject to withholding taxes, unless there is sufficient evidence to show that the subsidiary has invested or will invest the undistributed earnings
indefinitely or that the earnings will be remitted in a tax-free liquidation.
The Company applies the provisions of ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), in accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. ASC 740 clarifies
the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes by prescribing the recognition threshold a tax position is required to meet before being recognized in the
financial statements. The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties related to an uncertain tax position (if and when required) as part of
income tax expense in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. The Company does not expect the amount of unrecognized tax
benefits to increase significantly in the next 12 months. In general, the PRC tax authorities have up to five years to conduct examinations of the tax
filings of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries. Accordingly, the PRC subsidiaries’ tax years of 2016 – 2021 remain open to examination by the respective
tax authorities. The Company may also be subject to the examination of the tax filings in other jurisdictions, which are not material to the consolidated
financial statements.
Share-based Compensation
The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). The
Company has elected to recognize share-based compensation using the straight-line method for all share-based awards issued with no performance
conditions. For awards with performance conditions, compensation cost is recognized on an accelerated basis if it is probable that the performance
condition will be achieved.
Forfeitures are estimated based on historical experience and are periodically reviewed. Cancellation of an award accompanied by the concurrent grant of
a replacement award is accounted for as a modification of the terms of the cancelled award (“modified awards”). The compensation costs associated
with the modified awards are recognized if either the original vesting condition or the new vesting condition is achieved. Total recognized
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
compensation cost for the awards is at least equal to the fair value of the awards at the grant date unless at the date of the modification the performance
or service conditions of the original awards are not expected to be satisfied. The incremental compensation cost is measured as the excess of the fair
value of the replacement award over the fair value of the cancelled award at the cancellation date. Therefore, in relation to the modified awards, the
Company recognizes share-based compensation over the vesting periods of the replacement award, which comprises, (i) the amortization of the
incremental portion of share-based compensation over the remaining vesting term and (ii) any unrecognized compensation cost of the original award,
using either the original term or the new term, whichever results in higher expenses for each reporting period.
The Company adopted ASU No. 2018-07, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment
Accounting to simplify the accounting for share-based payments to nonemployees (“ASU 2018-07”) on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective
method. Subsequent to the adoption, the Company measures equity-classified nonemployee awards using their fair value on grant date. The impact of
adopting ASU 2018-07 was insignificant.
Earnings Per Share (“EPS”)
The Company computes earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary shares in accordance with ASC Topic 260, Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”), using
the two-class method. Under the provisions of ASC 260, basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares
outstanding during the period except that it does not include unvested ordinary shares subject to repurchase or cancellation. The Company’s outstanding
Class A and Class B ordinary shares were retroactively adjusted for the Share Subdivision as disclosed in Notes 1 and 21. The Company adjusts for the
accretion of the redeemable noncontrolling interests in the calculation of income available to ordinary shareholders of the Company used in the earnings
per share calculation.
Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares and, if dilutive, potential ordinary shares outstanding
during the period. Potentially dilutive securities such as share options, restricted shares and convertible senior notes have been excluded from the
computation of diluted net earnings per share if their inclusion is anti-dilutive. Potential ordinary shares consist of the incremental ordinary shares
issuable upon the exercise of share options, restricted shares subject to forfeiture, and contracts that may be settled in the Company’s stock or cash. The
dilutive effect of outstanding share options, restricted shares is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the treasury stock method. The
computation of the diluted earnings per Class A ordinary share assumes the conversion of Class B ordinary shares to Class A ordinary shares, while
diluted earnings per Class B ordinary share does not assume the conversion of such shares. The Company adjusts for the securities issued by subsidiaries
and equity method investees in the calculation of income available to ordinary shareholders of the Company used in the diluted earnings per share
calculation.
The liquidation and dividend rights of the holders of the Company’s Class A and Class B ordinary shares are identical, except with respect to voting
rights. As a result, and in accordance with ASC 260, the undistributed earnings for each year are allocated based on the contractual participation rights
of the Class A and Class B ordinary shares as if the earnings for the year had been distributed. As the liquidation and dividend rights are identical, the
undistributed earnings are allocated on a proportionate basis. Further, as the conversion of Class B ordinary shares is assumed in the computation of the
diluted earnings per Class A ordinary share, the undistributed earnings are equal to net income for that computation.
For the purposes of calculating the Company’s basic and diluted earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary shares, the ordinary shares relating to the
options that were exercised are assumed to have been outstanding from the date of exercise of such options.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Treasury stock
The Company accounts for treasury stock using the cost method. Under this method, the cost incurred to purchase the shares is recorded in “Treasury
stock” on the consolidated balance sheets. At retirement of the treasury stock, the ordinary shares account is charged only for the aggregate par value of
the shares. The excess of the acquisition cost of treasury stock over the aggregate par value is charged to retained earnings.
Contingencies
The Company records accruals for certain of its outstanding legal proceedings or claims when it is probable that a liability will be incurred and the
amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company evaluates, on a quarterly basis, developments in legal proceedings or claims that could affect
the amount of any accrual, as well as any developments that would make a loss contingency both probable and reasonably estimable. The Company
discloses the amount of the accrual if it is material.
When a loss contingency is not both probable and estimable, the Company does not record an accrued liability but discloses the nature and the amount
of the claim, if material. However, if the loss (or an additional loss in excess of the accrual) is at least reasonably possible, then the Company discloses
an estimate of the loss or range of loss, unless it is immaterial or an estimate cannot be made. The assessment of whether a loss is probable or reasonably
possible, and whether the loss or a range of loss is estimable, often involves complex judgments about future events. Management is often unable to
estimate the loss or a range of loss, particularly where (i) the damages sought are indeterminate, (ii) the proceedings are in the early stages, or (iii) there
is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific complaints among different jurisdictions. In such cases, there is
considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such matters, including eventual loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any.
Concentration of Risks
Concentration of credit risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentration of credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents,
restricted cash, debt securities, accounts receivable, contract assets, receivables from online payment agencies and amounts due from related parties. The
carrying amounts of these assets represent the Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has RMB198.8
billion (US$31.2 billion) in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and debt investments, which is held by financial institutions in the PRC and
international financial institutions outside of the PRC. In the event of bankruptcy of one of these financial institutions, the Company may not be able to
claim its cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and debt investments back in full. The Company continues to monitor the financial strength of the
financial institutions, 91% and 9% of which are held by financial institutions in the PRC and international financial institutions outside of the PRC,
respectively. The Company’s total cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and debt investments held at two financial institutions in the PRC exceeded
10%, representing 23% and 20% of the Company’s total cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, and debt investments as of December 31, 2021,
respectively.
PRC state-owned banks, such as Bank of China, are subject to a series of risk control regulatory standards, and PRC bank regulatory authorities are
empowered to take over the operation and management when any of those banks faces a material credit crisis. The Company does not foresee substantial
credit risk with respect to cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and short-term investments held at the PRC state-owned banks. Meanwhile, China
does not have an official deposit insurance program, nor does it have an agency similar to what was the
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the U.S. In the event of bankruptcy of one of the financial institutions in which the Company has
deposits or investments, it may be unlikely to claim its deposits or investments back in full. The Company selected reputable international financial
institutions with high rating rates to place its foreign currencies. The Company regularly monitors the rating of the international financial institutions to
avoid any potential defaults. There has been no recent history of default in relation to these financial institutions.
Accounts receivable, contract assets and receivables from online payment agencies are typically unsecured and derived from revenue earned from
customers and agencies in the PRC, which are exposed to credit risk. The risk is mitigated by credit evaluations the Company performs on its customers
and its ongoing monitoring process of outstanding balances. The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses and actual losses have generally
been within management’s expectations. As of December 31, 2021, the Group had no single customer with a balance exceeding 10% of the total
accounts receivable, contract assets and receivables from online payment agencies.
No customer or any Baidu Union partner generated greater than 10% of total revenues during the years presented.
Amounts due from related parties are typically unsecured. In evaluating the collectability of the amounts due from related parties, the Company
considers many factors, including the related parties’ repayment history and their credit-worthiness. The Company maintains reserves for estimated
credit losses and these losses have generally been within its expectations.
Business and economic risks
The Company participates in the dynamic and competitive high technology industry and believes that changes in any of the following areas could have a
material adverse effect on the Company’s future financial position, results of operations and cash flows: changes in the overall demand for services and
products; changes in business offerings; competitive pressures due to existing and new entrants; advances and new trends in new technologies and
industry standards; changes in bandwidth suppliers; changes in certain strategic relationships or customer relationships; regulatory considerations;
copyright regulations; cybersecurity regulations; brand maintenance and enhancement; risks associated with the Group’s ability to anticipate user
preferences and provide high-quality content in a cost-effective manner; risks associated with the Company’s ability to attract and retain employees
necessary to support its growth and risks related to outbreaks of epidemics, such as COVID-19.
The Company’s operations could be adversely affected by significant political, economic and social uncertainties, epidemic and trade war disruptions in
the PRC.
Currency convertibility risk
Substantially all of the Company’s businesses are transacted in RMB, which is not freely convertible into foreign currencies. All foreign exchange
transactions take place either through Bank of China or other banks authorized to buy and sell foreign currencies at the exchange rates quoted by the
People’s Bank of China. Foreign exchange transactions, including foreign currency payments, require the approval of the People’s Bank of China and/or
regulatory institutions.
Foreign currency exchange rate risk
The functional currency and the reporting currency of the Company are the USD and the RMB, respectively. The Company’s exposure to foreign
currency exchange rate risk primarily relates to cash and cash equivalents,
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
restricted cash, short-term investments, long-term investments, accounts and notes payable and convertible senior notes denominated in the USD. On
June 19, 2010, the People’s Bank of China announced the end of the RMB’s de facto peg to the USD, a policy which was instituted in late 2008 in the
face of the global financial crisis, to further reform the RMB exchange rate regime and to enhance the RMB’s exchange rate flexibility. On March 15,
2014, the People’s Bank of China announced the widening of the daily trading band for RMB against USD. The depreciation of the USD against the
RMB was approximately 2.34% in 2021. Most of the revenues and costs of the Company are denominated in RMB, while a portion of cash and cash
equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments, long-term investments, notes payable and convertible senior notes are denominated in the USD. It is
difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the
future. Any significant fluctuation of the valuation of RMB may materially affect the Company’s cash flows, revenues, earnings and financial position,
and the value of, and any dividends payable on, the ADS in USD.
Derivative Instruments
ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”) requires all contracts which meet the definition of a derivative to be recognized on the balance
sheet as either assets or liabilities and recorded at fair value. Changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments are either recognized
periodically in earnings or in other comprehensive (loss) income depending on the use of the derivative and whether it qualifies for hedge accounting.
Changes in fair values of derivatives not qualified as hedges are reported in earnings.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity (“ASU
2020-06”), which focuses on amending the legacy guidance on convertible instruments and the derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity’s
own equity. ASU 2020-06 simplifies an issuer’s accounting for convertible instruments by reducing the number of accounting models that require
separate accounting for embedded conversion features. ASU 2020-06 also simplifies the settlement assessment that entities are required to perform to
determine whether a contract qualifies for equity classification. Further, ASU 2020-06 enhances information transparency by making targeted
improvements to the disclosures for convertible instruments and earnings-per-share (EPS) guidance, i.e., aligning the diluted EPS calculation for
convertible instruments by requiring that an entity use the if-converted method and that the effect of potential share settlement be included in the diluted
EPS calculation when an instrument may be settled in cash or shares, adding information about events or conditions that occur during the reporting
period that cause conversion contingencies to be met or conversion terms to be significantly changed. This update will be effective for the Group’s fiscal
years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years
beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Entities can elect to adopt the new guidance through either a modified
retrospective method of transition or a fully retrospective method of transition. The Group has preliminary assessed the impact of ASU 2020-06
adoption on the Group’s consolidated financial statements, including but not limited to the accounting for convertible senior notes. The Company will
adopt ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2022, using a modified retrospective transition method, which will result in a cumulative-effect adjustment to
decrease the opening balance of additional paid-in capital and noncontrolling interests on January 1, 2022 by RMB738 million (US$116 million) and
RMB309 million (US$48 million) respectively, and increase the opening balance of accumulated retained earnings and convertible senior notes on
January 1, 2022 by RMB398 million (US$62 million) and RMB636 million (US$100 million), with remaining impact shown in accumulated other
comprehensive income.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
3.
BUSINESS COMBINATIONS
Business combinations in 2019:
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company completed several business combinations, total purchase consideration in aggregate was
RMB1.2 billion, among which RMB978 million was allocated to goodwill. The Company expects to achieve significant synergies from such
acquisitions which it plans to complement its existing businesses. The acquired entities were considered insignificant, both individually and in
aggregate. Results of the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the acquisition date.
Purchase consideration
Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities
Intangible assets, net
Deferred tax liabilities
Noncontrolling interests
Redeemable non-controlling interests (Note 19)
Goodwill
RMB
(In millions)
1,168
229
543
(134)
(266)
(182)
978
1,168
Goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.
Neither the results of operations since the acquisition dates nor the pro forma results of operations of the acquirees were presented because the effects of
these business combinations, individually and in the aggregate, were not significant to the Company’s consolidated results of operations.
Business combinations in 2020:
During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company completed several business combinations, total purchase consideration in aggregate was
RMB3.5 billion, among which RMB4.0 billion was allocated to goodwill. The Company expects to achieve significant synergies from such acquisitions
which it plans to complement its existing businesses. The acquired entities were considered insignificant, both individually and in aggregate. Results of
the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements since the acquisition date.
Purchase consideration
Net assets acquired, excluding intangible assets and the related deferred tax liabilities
Intangible assets, net
Deferred tax liabilities
Pre-existing equity interests and debt investment
Noncontrolling interests
Goodwill
F-42
RMB
(In millions)
3,499
1,515
1,116
(229)
(2,103)
(798)
3,998
3,499
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The Company’s pre-existing equity interests in the acquired entities were remeasured to fair value at the acquisition date. For the year ended
December 31, 2020, the Company recognized a net re-measurement gain of RMB123 million in “Others, net” in the consolidated statement of
comprehensive (loss) income.
Goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.
Neither the results of operations since the acquisition dates nor the pro forma results of operations of the acquirees were presented because the effects of
these business combinations, both individually and in aggregate, were not significant to the Company’s consolidated results of operations.
Business combinations in 2021:
During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company completed several business combinations, total purchase consideration in aggregate was
RMB326 million (US$51 million), among which RMB357 million (US$56 million) was allocated to goodwill. The Company expects to achieve
significant synergies from such acquisitions which it plans to complement its existing businesses. The acquired entities were considered insignificant,
both individually and in aggregate. Results of the acquired entities’ operations have been included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements
since the acquisition date.
Goodwill, which is non-deductible for tax purposes, is primarily attributable to the synergies expected to be achieved from the acquisitions.
Neither the results of operations since the acquisition dates nor the pro forma results of operations of the acquirees were presented because the effects of
these business combinations, both individually and in aggregate, were not significant to the Company’s consolidated results of operations.
The valuations used in the purchase price allocation described above were determined by the Company with the assistance of independent third-party
valuation firm. The valuation reports considered generally accepted valuation methodologies such as the income, market and cost approaches. As the
acquirees are all private companies, the fair value estimates of pre-existing equity interests and debt investment or noncontrolling interests are based on
significant inputs considered by market participants which mainly include (a) discount rate, (b) projected terminal value based on future cash flows,
(c) equity multiples or enterprise value multiples of companies in the same industries and (d) adjustment for lack of control or lack of marketability.
The Company entered into definitive agreements with JOYY Inc. (“JOYY”) and certain of its affiliates, to acquire YY Live on November 16, 2020, and
subsequently amended the share purchase agreement (“SPA”) on February 7, 2021. Pursuant to the SPA, the closing of this acquisition is subject to
certain conditions, including, among others, obtaining necessary regulatory approvals from governmental authorities.
The Company has not obtained the necessary regulatory approvals with respect to this acquisition from government authorities as of the date of this
annual report and there is no assurance that they will be ultimately obtained. Accordingly, the Company believes the closing has not occurred, which is
further evidenced by mutual agreement from both JOYY and the Company on multiple occasions since November 16, 2020 to extend the long stop date,
which is the closing deadline of the proposed transaction. Therefore, the Company has not consolidated YY Live as of December 31, 2021. The
Company and JOYY have currently extended the long stop date to March 31, 2022. This date may be further extended through mutual agreement of
both parties if the approval has not been obtained by then.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
As of December 31, 2021, the Company has made aggregate prepayments of US$1.9 billion to JOYY, after considering working capital adjustment of
US$0.1 billion, which were recorded as “Other non-current assets” on the consolidated balance sheet; and deposited an aggregate of US$1.6 billion into
several escrow accounts, in accordance with the terms set forth in the share purchase agreement that was recorded as “Restricted cash” on the
consolidated balance sheet.
The Company has assessed the recoverability of such Other non-current assets as of December 31, 2021 and believes that such amounts are recoverable,
either in the form of the YY Live business if the acquisition is ultimately closed, or by way of return of the prepayment and release of the escrowed
amounts should the proposed transaction ultimately be terminated and unwound.
4.
INVESTMENTS
Short-term Investments
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the Company’s short-term investments comprised of only debt securities. Short-term held-to-maturity securities
were mainly deposits in commercial banks with maturities less than one year and wealth management products issued by commercial banks and other
financial institutions for which the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold those securities to maturity. The short-term available-for-sale
securities include wealth management products issued by commercial banks and other financial institutions which are not classified as trading securities
or as held-to-maturity securities.
During the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the Company recorded interest income from its short-term investments of RMB5.4 billion,
RMB4.7 billion and RMB4.5 billion (US$701 million) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, respectively.
Short-term investments classification as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 were shown as below:
Held-to-maturity debt investments
Available-for-sale debt investments
As of December 31, 2020
Cost or
Amortized
cost less
allowance
for credit
losses
RMB
123,537
2,862
Gross
unrecognized
holding gains
RMB
Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
RMB
Gross
unrealized
gains
RMB
Gross
unrealized
losses
RMB
595
—
(In millions)
—
—
—
3
—
—
Fair value
RMB
124,132
2,865
F-44
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
As of December 31, 2021
Cost or
Amortized
cost less
allowance
for credit
losses
RMB
140,686
2,547
Gross
unrecognized
holding gains
RMB
Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
RMB
Gross
unrealized
gains
RMB
Gross
unrealized
losses
RMB
(In millions)
Fair value
RMB
US$
898
—
—
—
—
10
—
—
141,584
2,557
22,218
401
Held-to-maturity debt investments
Available-for-sale debt investments
Long-term Investments
The following table sets forth a breakdown of the categories of long-term investments held by the Company as of the dates indicated:
As of December 31,
2021
2020
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair value
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value(i)
Available-for-sale debt investments
Equity method investments
Investments accounted for at fair value
Long-term held-to-maturity investments
Total long-term investments
2021
US$
RMB RMB
(In millions)
12,978 16,375 2,570
24,603 11,745 1,843
355
2,607 2,262
24,067 24,808 3,893
663
2,238 4,228
9,740 7,914 1,242
76,233 67,332 10,566
(i)
The total carrying value of equity investments without readily determinable fair value using NAV practical expedient was RMB957
million (US$150 million) for the year ended December 31, 2021. The total carrying value of equity investments without readily determinable fair
value using measurement alternative was RMB10,788 million (US$1,693 million) for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair value
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair value represent investments in the equity securities of publicly listed companies, for
which the Company does not have significant influence.
In 2017, the Company acquired equity interests in China United Network Communication Limited (“China Unicom”), a listed telecommunications
company in China for cash consideration of RMB7.0 billion. The China Unicom investment was held by a non-wholly-owned subsidiary of the
Company. In 2020, the China Unicom investment was accounted for as an equity investment with readily determinable fair value and the Company
partially disposed its investment in China Unicom for RMB2.7 billion.
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value
The Company accounted for private equity funds of which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence using NAV practical
expedient in accordance with ASC 820. For equity investments
F-45
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
without readily determinable fair value and do not qualify for the NAV practical expedient, the Company elected to use the measurement alternative to
measure such investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for
identical or similar investments of the same issuer, if any in accordance with ASC 321. Impairment charges recognized on equity investments without
readily determinable fair value were RMB778 million, RMB2,310 million and RMB4,259 million (US$668 million) for the years ended December 31,
2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
The total carrying value of equity investments without readily determinable fair value that do not qualify for NAV practical expedient held as of
December 31, 2020 and 2021 were as follows:
Initial cost basis
Cumulative unrealized gains
Cumulative unrealized losses (including impairment)
Total carrying value
As of
December 31,
2020
RMB
19,725
8,113
(3,235)
24,603
As of
December 31,
2021
RMB
(In millions)
13,016
3,910
(6,138)
10,788
As of
December 31,
2021
US$
2,042
614
(963)
1,693
Total unrealized and realized gains and losses of equity securities without readily determinable fair values that do not qualify for NAV practical
expedient for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were as follows:
Gross unrealized gains
Gross unrealized losses (including impairment)(i)
Net unrealized (losses) gains on equity securities held
Net realized gains on equity securities sold
Total net gains (losses) recognized
For the years ended
December 31,
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
2019
RMB
(In millions)
1,447 4,396 1,062 167
(1,641) (2,679) (4,424) (694)
(194) 1,717 (3,362) (527)
211
266 — —
17 1,983 (3,362) (527)
(i)
Gross unrealized losses (downward adjustments excluding impairment) were RMB863 million, RMB378 million and RMB165 million
(US$26 million) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Equity method investments
The carrying amounts of the Company’s equity method investments were RMB24.1 billion and RMB24.8 billion (US$3.9 billion) as of December 31,
2020 and 2021, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the impairment recognized for equity method investments were
RMB9.2 billion, RMB297 million and RMB57 million (US$9 million), respectively.
Equity Investment in Trip.com International, Ltd. (“Trip”) (formally known as Ctrip)
As of December 31, 2018, the Company held approximately 19% of Trip’s outstanding shares. The Company was considered to have significant
influence over Trip and accounts for such investment as an equity method investment in accordance with ASC 323.
F-46
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
During 2019, the market value of Trip had significantly declined and remained below the carrying value of the investment for a prolonged period of
time. Therefore, the Company concluded that the decline in market value of the investment in Trip was other-than-temporary as of September 30, 2019
and an impairment charge of RMB8.9 billion was recorded in the third quarter of 2019. The Company made a corresponding RMB8.9 billion downward
adjustment to the equity method goodwill arising from its acquisition of the Trip investment.
In October 2019, the Company disposed an aggregate of 36 million American Depositary Shares of Trip for cash consideration of US$988 million and
recognized a disposal loss of RMB43 million in the year ended December 31, 2019.
After the partial disposal of the investment in Trip the Company held approximately 12% equity interest in Trip, and the Company can actively
participate in the operating and financing policies of Trip through its two seats on Trip’s board of directors with a total of nine members. Accordingly,
the Company continues to have significant influence over Trip and accounts for its remaining investment as an equity method investment in accordance
with ASC 323. As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s investments in Trip had a fair value of RMB10.9 billion (US$1.7 billion), based on the closing
share price.
The following tables set forth the summarized financial information of Trip:
As of September 30, (i)
2021
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
US$
Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Noncontrolling interests
Total revenues
Gross profit
Income (loss) from operations
Net income (loss)
Net income (loss) attributable to the investees
(In millions)
65,782 76,596 12,020
132,417 124,268 19,500
61,360 73,517 11,536
36,558 16,418 2,576
145
1,566
924
For the twelve months ended
September 30, (i)
2020
RMB RMB
2021
RMB
2019
2021
US$
(In millions)
34,958 21,704 20,313 3,188
27,627 16,838 15,916 2,498
(723) (113)
4,271
3,764 (2,236) 1,198 188
3,813 (2,243) 1,288 202
(827)
(i)
The Company adopted a one-quarter lag in reporting its share of equity income (loss) in Trip.
Equity Investment in Jidu Auto Inc. (“Jidu”)
In January 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (“Geely”) to established Jidu to produce intelligent
electric vehicles. The Company hold an equity interest of 52.38%, however, considering the substantive participating rights held by Geely, the Company
accounts for its investment as an equity method investment in accordance with ASC 323.
F-47
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Disposal of financial services business
After finishing a series of legal restructuring and recapitalization of the financial services business (“Du Xiaoman”), the Company retained 41% of Du
Xiaoman ’s shares on a fully diluted basis, and accounted as an equity method investment in accordance with ASC 323, as it retained significant
influence over Du Xiaoman. The carrying amount of the Du Xiaoman investment in excess of the Company’s proportionate interest in Du Xiaoman was
recognized as equity method goodwill of RMB3.5 billion, intangible assets of RMB851 million and related deferred tax liabilities of RMB213 million.
Deconsolidation of one of the Company’s subsidiaries
In December 2019, the Company lost control and therefore deconsolidated one of its subsidiaries. A non-cash disposal loss of RMB801 million was
recognized in “Others, net” in the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss for the year ended December 31, 2019. The Company continued to have
significant influence over the entity and accounted for its remaining equity interest in the entity as an equity-method investment in accordance with ASC
323.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, in addition to the aforementioned equity method investments, the Company held other equity method investments
through its subsidiaries or VIEs and over which had significant influence.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, equity method investments excluding Trip held by the Company in aggregate have met the significance criteria
as defined under Rule 4-08(g) of Regulation S-X. Financial information for the Company’s equity method investments other than Trip are summarized
as a group as follow:
2020
RMB
As of September 30, (i)
2021
RMB
2021
US$
Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Noncontrolling interests
Total revenues
Gross profit
(Loss) income from operations
Net (loss) income
Net (loss) income attributable to the investees
(In millions)
96,713 125,266 19,657
15,094 18,512 2,905
73,842 90,744 14,240
9,218 1,447
5,545
261
1,662
1,577
For the twelve months ended
September 30, (i)
2020
RMB
2021
RMB US$
2021
2019
RMB
(In millions)
12,598 13,981 21,380 3,355
6,247 5,083 7,624 1,196
(680) (1,282) 1,238 194
(832) 2,065 324
(638)
(891) 2,040 320
(933)
(i)
The Company adopted a one-quarter lag in reporting its share of (loss) income in majority of its equity investees.
F-48
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Investments accounted for at fair value
Long-term equity investments in unlisted companies held by consolidated investment companies are accounted for at fair value in accordance with ASC
946-320. These investments are carried at fair value with realized or unrealized gains and losses recorded in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements
of comprehensive (loss) income.
The methodology used in the determination of fair values for held-to-maturity debt investments, available-for-sale debt investments, equity investments
with readily determinable fair values and other investment securities accounted for at fair value are disclosed in Note 25.
Long-term investments classification, excluding equity method investments and equity investments without readily determinable fair value, as of
December 31, 2020 and 2021 are shown as below:
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair value
Available-for-sale debt investments
Investments accounted for at fair value
Cost or
Amortized cost
RMB
8,419
2,804
1,580
As of December 31, 2020
Gross
unrealized
gains
RMB
Gross
unrealized
losses
RMB
(In millions)
7,342
166
885
(2,783)
(363)
(227)
Fair
value
RMB
12,978
2,607
2,238
Cost or
Amortized cost
RMB
As of December 31, 2021
Gross
unrealized
gains
RMB
Gross
unrealized
losses
RMB
(In millions)
Fair value
RMB
US$
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair value
Available-for-sale debt investments
Investments accounted for at fair value
15,046
2,820
1,974
6,046
216
2,653
(4,717)
(774)
(399)
16,375
2,262
4,228
2,570
355
663
Long-term held-to-maturity investments
Long-term held-to-maturity securities were mainly deposits in commercial banks with maturities of greater than one year and wealth management
products issued by commercial banks and other financial institutions for which the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold those securities to
maturity with maturities of greater than one year.
During the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the Company recorded interest income from its long-term held-to-maturity investments of
RMB2 million, RMB118 million and RMB326 million (US$51 million) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, respectively.
F-49
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Long-term held-to-maturity investments classification as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 were shown as below:
Long-term held-to-maturity investments
Cost or
Amortized
cost
RMB
9,740
As of December 31, 2020
Gross
unrecognized
holding gains
RMB
Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
RMB
Fair
value
RMB
(In millions)
14
—
9,754
As of December 31, 2021
Cost or
Amortized
cost
RMB
Gross
unrecognized
holding gains
RMB
Gross
unrecognized
holding
losses
RMB
(In millions)
Fair value
RMB
US$
Long-term held-to-maturity investments
7,914
100
—
8,014
1,258
The following table summarizes the amortized cost of long-term held-to-maturity investments with stated contractual dates, classified by the contractual
maturity date of the investments:
Due in 1 year
Due in 1 year through 2 years
Due in 2 years through 3 years
Total
Available-for-sale debt investments
As of December 31,
2020 2021
2021
RMB RMB US$
(In millions)
— — —
9,690 7,914 1,242
50 — —
9,740 7,914 1,242
Available-for-sale debt investments are convertible debt instruments issued by private companies and an investment in preferred shares that is
redeemable at the Company’s option, which are measured at fair value. Investments in preferred shares that are redeemable at the Company’s option
have no contractual maturity date.
The following table summarizes the estimated fair value of available-for-sale debt investments with stated contractual dates, classified by the contractual
maturity date of the investments:
Due in 1 year
Due in 1 year through 5 years
Not due at a single maturity date
Total
F-50
As of December 31,
2020 2021 2021
RMB RMB US$
(In millions)
— — —
1,587 1,685 264
1,020 577 91
2,607 2,262 355
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
5.
LICENSED COPYRIGHTS, NET
Licensed copyrights
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Less: current portion:
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Licensed copyrights—non-current
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Licensed copyrights
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Less: current portion:
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Licensed copyrights—non-current
—Broadcasting rights
—Sublicensing rights
Gross
carrying
value
RMB
37,511
5,963
43,474
8,661
5,963
14,624
28,850
—
28,850
As of December 31, 2020
Accumulated
amortization
RMB
Impairment
amount
RMB
(In millions)
Net
carrying
value
RMB
(29,688)
(5,963)
(35,651)
(7,592)
(5,963)
(13,555)
(22,096)
—
(22,096)
(353)
—
(353)
7,470
—
7,470
(34)
—
(34)
1,035
—
1,035
(319)
—
(319)
6,435
—
6,435
Gross
carrying
value
RMB
41,489
7,072
48,561
8,592
7,072
15,664
32,897
—
32,897
As of December 31, 2021
Accumulated
amortization
RMB
Impairment
amount
RMB
(In millions)
Net carrying
value
RMB
US$
(33,017)
(7,044)
(40,061)
(7,662)
(7,044)
(14,706)
(25,355)
—
(25,355)
(311)
—
(311)
8,161
28
8,189
1,281
4
1,285
(27)
—
(27)
903
28
931
142
4
146
(284)
—
(284)
7,258
—
7,258
1,139
—
1,139
Amortization expense of RMB12.7 billion, RMB11.5 billion and RMB10.1 billion (US$1.6 billion) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and
2021, respectively, was recognized as cost of revenues.
F-51
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Estimated amortization expense relating to the existing licensed copyrights for each of the next three years is as follow:
Within 1 year
Between 1 and 2 years
Between 2 and 3 years
RMB US$
(In millions)
3,551 557
1,540 242
1,008 158
To supplement cash flow disclosure of investing activities in 2019, acquisition of licensed copyrights included in current liabilities for the year ended
December 31, 2019 amounted to RMB5.5 billion. Acquisition of licensed copyrights from nonmonetary content exchanges for the year ended December
31, 2019 amounted to RMB968 million.
6.
PRODUCED CONTENT, NET
Released, less amortization and impairment
—Predominantly monetized with other content assets
—Predominantly monetized on its own
In production, less impairment
—Predominantly monetized with other content assets
—Predominantly monetized on its own
In development, less impairment
—Predominantly monetized with other content assets
—Predominantly monetized on its own
Total
As of December 31,
2020
2021
2021
RMB RMB US$
(In millions)
1,857 2,850
30
1,935 2,880
78
447
5
452
3,742 6,338
504
994
79
3,824 6,842 1,073
82
178
666 1,134
15
131
95
797 1,229
193
6,556 10,951 1,718
Upon the initial application of ASU 2019-02, Improvements to Accounting for Costs of Films and License Agreements for Program Materials (“ASU
2019-02”) on January 1, 2020, amortization expense of RMB3,024 million, RMB4,641 million (US$728 million) and RMB1,095 million,
RMB1,319 million (US$207 million) was recognized as cost of revenues in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the years ended
December 31, 2020 and 2021, for produced content predominantly monetized with other content assets and for produced content predominantly
monetized on its own, respectively. Prior to adopting ASU 2019-02, amortization expense for produced content was RMB2,977 million for the year
ended December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2021, approximately RMB400 million (US$63 million) of accrued participation liabilities will be paid
in fiscal 2022.
F-52
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Estimated amortization expense relating to the existing produced content for each of the next three years is as follows:
Within 1 year
Between 1 and 2 years
Between 2 and 3 years
7.
ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
Accounts receivable
Allowance for credit losses
The movements in the allowance for credit losses were as follows:
Balance as of January 1
Adoption of ASU 2016-13
Amounts charged to expenses
Amounts written off
Balance as of December 31
8.
OTHER ASSETS
Contract assets, net (i)
VAT prepayments
Inventories
Prepaid licensed copyrights
Advances to suppliers
Receivables from online payment agencies
Prepaid expenses
Deposits
Income tax prepayments
Others
Total other current assets
Long-term prepaid expenses
Others
Total other non-current assets
F-53
RMB US$
(In millions)
1,192 187
429 67
300 47
As of December 31,
2021
US$
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions)
9,988 12,050 1,891
(1,320) (2,069) (325)
8,668 9,981 1,566
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(In millions)
599 928 1,320 207
— 119 — —
331 455 830 131
(81) (13)
928 1,320 2,069 325
(2) (182)
As of December 31,
2021
2020
2021
RMB RMB US$
(In millions)
448
1,755 2,858
337
1,768 2,148
232
618 1,477
146
931
132
843
98
622
97
615
59
374
3
19
3,279 1,165
183
11,006 11,052 1,735
1,035
1,053
440
491
437
130
3,084 15,223 2,389
112
3,448 15,933 2,501
364
710
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
(i)
The allowance for credit losses on contract assets was RMB27 million and RMB85 million (US$13 million) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021,
respectively. The amounts charged to expenses for credit losses on contract assets were RMB9 million and RMB58 million (US$9 million) for the
years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. No write-offs were charged against the allowance for the years ended December 31, 2020
and 2021, respectively. The effect of adopting ASU 2016-13 on January 1, 2020 was RMB11 million to the opening balance of contract assets,
net.
9.
FIXED ASSETS
Computer equipment
Office building
Office building related facility, machinery and equipment
Vehicles
Office equipment
Leasehold improvements
Construction in progress
Accumulated depreciation and impairment
2021
US$
2020
RMB
As of December 31,
2021
RMB
(In millions)
33,150 40,908 6,419
771
602
46
192
78
108
42,304 52,355 8,216
(24,796) (29,328) (4,603)
17,508 23,027 3,613
4,697
2,442
204
971
386
454
4,915
3,834
291
1,223
496
688
Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, was RMB5.6 billion, RMB5.7 billion and RMB5.7 billion (US$896
million), respectively. Impairment charges on fixed assets for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were not material.
10. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Goodwill
The Company had two reporting units, Baidu Core and iQIYI, as of December 31, 2020 and three reporting units, consisting of Baidu Core excluding
SLG, SLG and iQIYI as of December 31, 2021.
The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for each reporting unit from 2020 to 2021 was as follows:
Balance at December 31, 2019
Goodwill acquired (Note 3)
Balance at December 31, 2020
Goodwill acquired (Note 3)
Goodwill reassigned (Note 2)
Balance at December 31, 2021
Baidu Core
excluding
SLG
RMB
14,362
3,998
18,360
357
(1,777)
16,940
SLG
RMB
iQIYI
RMB
(In millions)
—
—
—
—
1,777
1,777
3,888
—
3,888
—
—
3,888
Total
RMB
18,250
3,998
22,248
357
—
22,605
Balance at December 31, 2021, in US$
2,658
279
610
3,547
F-54
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Intangible Assets
Trademarks
Technology
Intellectual property right
Online literature
Others
Trademarks
Technology
Intellectual property right
Online literature
Others
Gross
carrying
value
RMB
1,054
1,087
1,599
151
899
4,790
As of December 31, 2020
Accumulated
impairment
RMB
Accumulated
amortization
RMB
(In millions)
(238)
(52)
(467)
—
(19)
(776)
(205)
(307)
(757)
(54)
(669)
(1,992)
Net
carrying
value
RMB
611
728
375
97
211
2,022
Gross
carrying
value
RMB
1,054
1,087
1,691
155
906
4,893
As of December 31, 2021
Accumulated
impairment
RMB
Accumulated
amortization
RMB
(In millions)
(238)
(52)
(473)
—
(19)
(782)
(278)
(486)
(841)
(76)
(741)
(2,422)
Net
carrying
value
RMB
538
549
377
79
146
1,689
Net
carrying
value
US$
84
86
59
12
24
265
The carrying amounts of intangible assets with indefinite useful lives were insignificant as of December 31, 2020 and 2021.
The Group recognized impairment losses on intangible assets of RMB406 million, RMB350 million and RMB6 million (US$1 million) for the years
ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Impairment losses on intangible assets are recorded in “Cost of revenues”.
Amortization expense of intangible assets were RMB661 million, RMB544 million and RMB471 million (US$74 million), for the years ended
December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Estimated amortization expense relating to the existing intangible assets with finite lives for each of the next five years is as follow:
For the years ending December 31,
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
F-55
RMB
US$
(In millions)
470
356
291
222
144
74
56
46
35
23
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
11. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AND ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Accrued operating expenses
Content acquisition costs
Accrued payroll and welfare
Tax payable
Traffic acquisition costs
Accruals for purchases of fixed assets
Bandwidth costs
Payable for investments
Funds collected on behalf of service providers
Interest payable
Payable to merchants
Users’ and third party agents’ deposits
Payables for purchasing inventory
Others
As of December 31,
2021
RMB
2020
RMB
(In millions)
8,301
6,734
3,508
3,779
2,467
1,270
1,985
3,466
523
487
307
268
480
3,141
36,716
9,868
8,326
4,541
4,430
2,705
2,240
2,220
804
558
538
339
383
1,307
3,125
41,384
2021
US$
1,549
1,307
713
695
424
352
348
126
88
84
53
60
205
490
6,494
12. LOANS PAYABLE
Short-term Loans
Short-term loans as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 amounted to RMB3.0 billion and RMB4.2 billion (US$654 million), respectively, which consisted
of RMB denominated borrowings by the Company’s subsidiaries from financial institutions in the PRC and were repayable within one year.
As of December 31, 2020, and 2021, the repayments of primarily all of the short-term loans are guaranteed by subsidiaries of iQIYI and either
collateralized by an office building of one of iQIYI’s VIEs with a carrying amount of RMB548 million and RMB535 million (US$84 million)
respectively, or restricted cash balances totaling US$4 million and US$5 million (equivalent to RMB34 million), respectively, or other receivables
totaling US$5 million and nil, respectively. Certain of iQIYI’s outstanding short-term loan agreements contain financial and other covenants which
depend on the financial position or performance of iQIYI’s subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, one of iQIYI’s VIEs
did not satisfy certain financial covenants, based on which the commercial bank has the right to suspend the issuance of credit lines, and/or cause all
outstanding amounts totaling RMB600 million (US$94 million) with original maturity dates in 2022 to be due and repayable immediately. As of the date
of this report, the commercial bank has waived its right to demand immediate repayment, and also renewed the related credit lines for the same amount
for one more year. Therefore, this does not constitute an event of default with respect to the Convertible Notes (Note 14).
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the weighted average interest rates for the outstanding borrowings were approximately 4.30% and 4.80%,
respectively, and the aggregate amounts of unused lines of credit for short-term loans were RMB840 million and RMB2.8 billion (US$432 million),
respectively.
Structured payable arrangements
In 2020 and 2021, iQIYI entered into structured payable arrangements with banks or other financial institutions (“factoring arrangements”). Under the
factoring arrangements, the suppliers’ receivables collection process was accelerated through selling its receivables from iQIYI to the banks or other
financial institutions at a discount.
F-56
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, iQIYI was legally obligated to pay the banks or other financial institutions in the amount totaling
RMB396 million and RMB1.1 billion (US$166 million), respectively, which will mature within one year.
As a result of the factoring arrangements, the payment terms of the iQIYI’s original accounts payables were substantially modified and considered
extinguished as the nature of the original liability has changed from accounts payables to loan borrowings from banks or other financial institutions. The
proceeds from borrowings from banks or other financial institutions is a financing activity and is reported as “Proceeds from short-term loans” on the
consolidated statements of cash flows. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, the outstanding borrowings from the factoring arrangements were
RMB390 million and RMB750 million (US$118 million), respectively, which is repayable within one year and are included in “Short-term loans” on the
consolidated balance sheets.
Long-term Loans
Baidu
In June 2016, the Company entered into a five-year term revolving facility agreement with a group of 21 arrangers, pursuant to which the Company is
entitled to borrow an unsecured USD denominated floating rate loan of US$1.0 billion with a term of five years and to borrow an unsecured USD
denominated revolving loan of US$1.0 billion for five years. The facility was priced at 110 basis points over LIBOR and is intended for the general
working capital of the Company. In June 2016, the Company drew down two tranches of US$250 million each under the facility commitment. In
November 2016, the Company drew down two tranches of US$250 million each under the facility commitment. In connection with the drawdowns, the
Company entered into four interest rate swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans would be settled with a fixed annual interest rate of 2.11%,
2.10%, 2.78% and 2.78% respectively, during the respective term of the loans. The loan was fully repaid in 2021.
In April 2021, the Company signed a five-year US$3.0 billion term and revolving facilities agreement with a group of 22 arrangers. The facilities consist
of a US$1.5 billion five-year bullet maturity term loan and a US$1.5 billion five-year revolving facility. The facility was priced at 85 basis points over
LIBOR and is intended for the general corporate purposes. In June 2021, the Company drew down RMB9.6 billion (US$1.5 billion) term loan and
RMB3.2 billion (US$500 million) revolving loan under the facility commitment. In connection with the drawdowns, the Company entered into two
interest rate swap agreements, pursuant to which the loans would be settled with a fixed annual interest rate of 1.71% and 1.72%, during the term of the
loans.
The total outstanding borrowings were RMB6.5 billion and RMB12.6 billion (US$2.0 billion) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021.
The interest rate swap agreements met the definition of a derivative in accordance with ASC 815 and qualified for hedge accounting, the derivatives
related to the interest rate swap agreements are accounted for at fair value and included in “Other non-current assets” on the consolidated balance sheets.
Changes in fair values of derivatives are recognized in other comprehensive (loss) income as described in Note 20.
iQIYI
In 2017, iQIYI borrowed a secured RMB denominated loan of RMB299 million with an interest rate of 4.47% for a three-year term from the Bank of
China for its general working capital purposes. Pursuant to the agreement, the principal shall be repaid by installments from 2017 to 2020. As of
December 31, 2020, the repayment of the loan is guaranteed by a subsidiary of iQIYI and collateralized by an office building of one of iQIYI’s VIEs
with a carrying amount of RMB548 million. Principal repayments were made on the loan when they became due and amounted to RMB10 million and
RMB274 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020, respectively. The loan was fully repaid in 2020.
F-57
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
In 2019, iQIYI entered into a two-year loan agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., pursuant to which iQIYI is entitled to borrow a secured RMB
denominated loan of RMB800 million for the general working capital purposes of iQIYI. In 2019, iQIYI drew down RMB448 million with an interest
rate of 3.55%. Pursuant to the agreement, the principal shall be repaid in installments from 2019 to 2021. As of December 31, 2020 and December 31,
2021, the repayment of the loan was collateralized by held-to-maturity debt securities with a two-year term and a stated cost of US$71 million and nil,
respectively. Principal repayments were made on the loan when they became due and amounted to RMB3 million, RMB34 million and RMB411 million
(US$64 million) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The loan was fully repaid in 2021.
In December 2018, iQIYI entered into a series of transactions (“reverse factoring arrangement”) in order to re-finance certain payables due to its
suppliers. In the reverse factoring arrangement, iQIYI’s suppliers sold certain 2018 receivables due from iQIYI (the “2018 factored receivables”)
amounting to RMB525 million to the financial institutions at a discount. The 2018 factored receivables were recorded as accounts payable in iQIYI’s
consolidated balance sheets. The 2018 factored receivables were further transferred to a securitization vehicle and used to securitize debt securities
issued to third-party investors with a stated interest of 5.0%-5.5% for gross proceeds of RMB446 million. Concurrently, iQIYI also entered into an
agreement with the financial institutions to extend the repayment of the underlying payables to mirror the repayment terms for the asset-back debt
securities with maturities in December 2019 and December 2020. Under such arrangement, the payable obligation between iQIYI and the suppliers was
considered settled and iQIYI was legally obligated to pay the financial institutions thereafter. As the 2018 factored receivables were sold to the financial
institutions and used to securitize the debt securities, the factored receivables are viewed as collateral for raising loans through the issuance of 2018
asset-backed debt securities. The borrowings have an effective interest rate of 7.00%.
In November 2019, July 2021 and November 2021, iQIYI entered into similar reverse factoring arrangements whereby iQIYI’s suppliers sold certain
receivables due from iQIYI (the “2019 and 2021 factored receivables”) amounting to RMB587 million, RMB232 million (US$36 million) and RMB634
million (US$99 million), respectively, to the financial institutions at a discount. The 2019 and 2021 factored receivables were recorded as accounts
payable in iQIYI’s consolidated balance sheets. The 2019 and 2021 factored receivables were further transferred to a securitization vehicle and used to
securitize debt securities issued to third-party investors with a stated interest of 5.1%, 5.5% and 4.5% for gross proceeds of RMB500 million, RMB200
million (US$31 million) and RMB570 million (US$89 million), respectively. Concurrently, iQIYI also entered into an agreement with the financial
institutions to extend the repayment of the underlying payables to mirror the repayment terms for the corresponding asset-back debt securities which
mature in November 2021, July 2022 and November 2022, respectively. The borrowings have an effective interest rate of 5.97%, 8.40% and 8.26%,
respectively.
The proceeds raised from issuance of the asset-backed debt securities were used by the financial institutions to factor the supplier invoices. At the same
time, the credit terms of iQIYI’s corresponding trade payables were extended to mirror the maturity of the asset-backed debt securities.
The securitization vehicle was designed by iQIYI with the sole purpose to acquire receivable balances from iQIYI’s suppliers in order to securitize the
senior asset-backed securities with guaranteed returns sold to third-party investors. iQIYI has a variable interest in the securitization vehicle through its
interest in the subordinated asset-backed securities issued by the securitization vehicle which bear the residual loss. As a result, iQIYI considers itself
the primary beneficiary and consolidates the securitization vehicle given iQIYI has (i) the power to govern the activities that most significantly impact
its economic performance, and (ii) is obligated to absorb losses that could potentially be significant to the securitization vehicle.
As a result of the series of transactions described above, the payment terms of iQIYI’s original trade payables were substantially modified and
considered extinguished as the nature of the original liability has changed from
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
that of a trade payable to loan borrowings from third-party investors. The proceeds from borrowings from third-party investors is a financing activity
and reported as “Proceeds from long-term loans” or “Proceeds from short-term loans” on the consolidated statements of cash flows depending on its
maturities.
RMB75 million and RMB371 million of 2018 asset-backed debt securities was repaid when it became due in December 2019 and December 2020,
respectively. RMB30 million and RMB470 million (US$74 million) of 2019 asset-backed debt securities was repaid when it became due in October
2020 and October 2021, respectively. The 2018 and 2019 asset-backed debt securities were fully repaid as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31,
2020 and 2021, the outstanding borrowings from asset-backed debt securities were as follows:
As of December 31,
Short-term loans
Long-term loans, current portion
Total carrying amount
2020
2021
RMB RMB
763
—
763
—
498
498
2021
US$
120
—
120
As of December 31, 2021, aggregate loan principal payments due on long-term loans and borrowings from third party investors are nil.
13. NOTES PAYABLE
Baidu, Inc.
The Company issued and publicly sold unsecured senior notes, and the details of the tranches are shown below:
2022 Ten-year Notes
2020 Notes
2025 Ten-year Notes
2022 Five-year Notes
2027 Ten-year Notes
2023 Notes
2028 March Notes
2024 Notes
2024 Notes
2028 November Notes
2025 Five-year Notes
2030 April Notes
2026 Notes
2030 October Notes
2027 Five-year Notes
2031 Notes
Issue date
November 28, 2012
June 30, 2015
June 30, 2015
July 6, 2017
July 6, 2017
March 29, 2018
March 29, 2018
November 14, 2018
December 10, 2018
November 14, 2018
April 7, 2020
April 7, 2020
October 9, 2020
October 9, 2020
August 23, 2021
August 23, 2021
Principal
amount
(US$ million)
750
750
500
900
600
1,000
500
600
250
400
600
400
650
300
300
700
Mature date
November 28, 2022
June 30, 2020
June 30, 2025
July 6, 2022
July 6, 2027
September 29, 2023
March 29, 2028
May 14, 2024
May 14, 2024
November 14, 2028
April 7, 2025
April 7, 2030
April 9, 2026
October 9, 2030
February 23,2027
August 23, 2031
Effective
interest
rate
3.59%
3.13% *
4.22%
3.08%
3.73%
3.99%
4.50%
4.51%
4.54%
4.99%
3.22%
3.54%
1.81%
2.43%
1.73%
2.49%
* The 2020 Notes were fully repaid when they became due.
The notes listed above are collectively referred to as the “Notes”.
F-59
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The 2022 Ten-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.500% per annum. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on
May 28, 2013.
The 2020 Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.000% per annum and the 2025 Ten-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 4.125% per annum. Interest is
payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on December 30, 2015.
The 2022 Five-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 2.875% per annum and the 2027 Ten-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.625% per annum.
Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on January 6, 2018.
The 2023 Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.875% per annum and the 2028 March Notes bear interest at the rate of 4.375% per annum. Interest is
payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on September 29, 2018.
The 2024 Notes including US$600 million issued in November and US$250 million in December 2018, respectively, bear interest at the rate of 4.375%
per annum and the 2028 November Notes bear interest at the rate of 4.875% per annum. Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year,
beginning on May 14, 2019.
The 2025 Five-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.075% per annum and the 2030 April Notes bear interest at the rate of 3.425% per annum. Interest
is payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on October 7, 2020.
The 2026 Notes bear interest at the rate of 1.720% per annum and the 2030 October Notes bear interest at the rate of 2.375% per annum. Interest is
payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on April 9, 2021.
The 2027 Five-year Notes bear interest at the rate of 1.625% per annum and the 2031 Notes bear interest at the rate of 2.375% per annum. Interest is
payable semi-annually in arrears on and of each year, beginning on February 23, 2022.
At maturity, the Notes are payable at their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon.
Under the terms of the indentures governing the 2022 Ten-year Notes, the 2025 Ten-year Notes, the 2022 Five-year Notes, the 2027 Ten-year Notes, the
2023 Notes and the 2028 March Notes, events of default include, among others, there occurring with respect to any of the Company’s indebtedness or
indebtedness of the Company’s principal controlled entities, an event of default resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal, interest or
premium when due, and that the outstanding principal amount under payment default or accelerated maturity equals or exceeds the greater of US$100
million and 2.5% of the Company’s total equity. Under such indentures, principal controlled entities refer to entities as to which one or more of the
following conditions is/are satisfied: (i) its total revenue or consolidated total revenue attributable to the Company is at least 5% of the Company’s
consolidated total revenue; (ii) its net profit or consolidated net profit attributable to the Company is at least 5% of the Company’s consolidated net
profit; or (iii) its net assets or consolidated net assets attributable to the Company are at least 10% of the Company’s consolidated net assets. For
example, iQIYI constitutes a principal controlled entity under such indentures.
Under the terms of the indentures governing the 2024 November Notes, the 2024 December Notes (consolidated and form a single series with 2024
November Notes), the 2028 November Notes, the 2025 Five-year Notes, the
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
2030 April Notes, the 2026 Notes, the 2030 October Notes, the 2027 Five-year Notes and the 2031 Notes, events of default include, among others, there
occurring with respect to any of the Company’s indebtedness, an event of default resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal, interest
or premium when due, and that the outstanding principal amount under payment default or accelerated maturity equals or exceeds the greater of US$100
million and 2.5% of the Company’s total equity.
If any such event of default were to take place, the holders of those notes may declare the principal of notes to be due and payable prior to the stated
maturity. Under the terms of the indentures governing the various notes, a declaration of acceleration of the relevant series of notes will be automatically
annulled if such event of default is remedied or cured by the Company or any of the Company’s principal controlled entities, in the case of the 2022 Ten-
year Notes, the 2025 Ten-year Notes, the 2022 Five-year Notes, the 2027 Ten-year Notes, the 2023 Notes and the 2028 March Notes, or the Company, in
the case of the 2024 November Notes, the 2024 December Notes, the 2028 November Notes, the 2025 Five-year Notes, the 2030 April Notes, the 2026
Notes, the 2030 October Notes, the 2027 Five year Notes and the 2031 Notes, or waived by the holders of the relevant notes within 30 days after the
declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and if the annulment of the acceleration of those notes would not conflict with any judgment or decree of
a court of competent jurisdiction. As of December 31, 2021, there was no such event of default.
The Notes do not contain any other financial covenants or other significant restrictions. In addition, the Notes are unsecured and rank lower than any
secured obligation of the Group and have the same liquidation priority as any other unsecured liabilities of the Group, but senior to those expressly
subordinated obligations, if any. The Company may, at its discretion, redeem all or any portion of the Notes at any time, at the greater of the principal
amount and the make whole amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. In addition, for the 2023 Notes, 2028 March Notes, 2024 Notes, 2028 November
Notes, 2025 Five-year Notes, 2030 April Notes, 2026 Notes, 2030 October Notes, 2027 Five-year Notes and 2031 Notes, the Company may at its
discretion, redeem all or any portion of the Notes at one or three months before the maturity date of respective notes, at a price equal to 100% of the
principal amount of such notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to (but not including) the redemption date. As of December 31, 2021, the
Company does not intend to redeem any portion of the Notes prior to the stated maturity dates. For certain Notes, the Company has the obligation to
redeem the Notes if a change in control occurs as defined in the indenture of the Notes.
The outstanding Notes were issued at a discount amounting to US$23 million. The total issuance costs of US$41 million were presented as a direct
deduction from the principal amount of the outstanding Notes on the consolidated balance sheets. Both the discount and the issuance costs are amortized
as interest expense using the effective interest rate method through the maturity dates of the Notes.
The principal amount and unamortized discount and debt issuance costs as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 were as follows:
Principal amount
Unamortized discount and debt issuance costs
F-61
As of December 31,
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
48,638
(230)
48,408
53,848
(223)
53,625
8,450
(36)
8,414
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The following table summarizes the aggregate required repayments of the principal amounts of the Company’s long-term debts (including the notes
payable and long-term loans (Note 12) but excluding convertible senior notes (Note 14), in the succeeding five years and thereafter:
For the years ending December 31,
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
14. CONVERTIBLE SENIOR NOTES
iQIYI 2023 Convertible Senior Notes
RMB
US$
(In millions)
10,517
6,374
5,417
7,010
16,887
20,392
1,650
1,000
850
1,100
2,650
3,200
On December 4, 2018, iQIYI issued US$750 million convertible senior notes (“iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes”). The iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes are
senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and interest is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 3.75% per annum on June 1 and December 1 of each
year, beginning on June 1, 2019. The iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes will mature on December 1, 2023 unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior
to such date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes is 37.1830 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI 2023
Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$26.89 per ADS). Prior to June 1, 2023, the iQIYI 2023
Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing
after the calendar quarter ending on March 31, 2019, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive)
during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater
than or equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading
price per US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on
each such trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI
2023 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day
immediately preceding the maturity date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid
interest. In addition, following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a notice of a tax
redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event or such tax
redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash, ADSs, or a combination of cash and
ADSs, at its election.
The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or portion of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes for cash on December 1, 2021, or upon a fundamental
change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest. In 2021, iQIYI redeemed US$747 million
(equivalent to RMB4.8 billion) aggregate principal amount of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes as requested by the holders. Following settlement of
the repurchase, the repurchase amount which was fully accreted was derecognized and
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
US$3 million (equivalent to RMB20 million) aggregate principal amount of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes remained outstanding and was included
in “Convertible senior notes” as of December 31, 2021 as it will mature on December 1, 2023.
In connection with the issuance of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, iQIYI purchased capped call options (the “2023 Capped Call”) on iQIYI’s ADS
with certain counterparties at a price of US$68 million. The counterparties agreed to sell to iQIYI up to approximately 28 million of iQIYI’s ADSs upon
iQIYI’s exercise of the 2023 Capped Call. The exercise price is equal to the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes’ initial conversion price and the cap price is
US$38.42 per ADS, subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions are expected to reduce
potential dilution to existing holders of the ordinary shares and ADSs of iQIYI upon conversion of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes and/or offset any
potential cash payments that iQIYI is required to make in excess of the principal amount of any converted notes, as the case may be, with such reduction
and/or offset subject to a cap.
iQIYI 2025 Convertible Senior Notes
On March 29, 2019, iQIYI issued US$1.2 billion convertible senior notes (“iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes””). The iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes are
senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and interest is payable semi-annually in cash at a rate of 2.00% per annum on October 1 and April 1 of each year,
beginning on October 1, 2019. The iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes will mature on April 1, 2025 unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such
date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes is 33.0003 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI 2025
Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$30.30 per ADS). Prior to October 1, 2024, the iQIYI 2025
Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing
after the calendar quarter ending on June 30, 2019, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during
a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or
equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading price per
US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on each such
trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI 2025
Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day
immediately preceding the maturity date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid
interest. In addition, following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a notice of a tax
redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event or such tax
redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash, ADSs, or a combination of cash and
ADSs, at its election.
The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes for cash on April 1, 2023, or upon a fundamental
change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
In connection with the issuance of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes, iQIYI purchased capped call options (the “2025 Capped Call”) on iQIYI’s ADS
with certain counterparties at a price of US$85 million. The counterparties agreed to sell to iQIYI up to approximately 40 million of iQIYI’s ADSs upon
iQIYI’s exercise of the 2025 Capped Call. The exercise price is equal to the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes’ initial conversion price and the
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
cap price is US$40.02 per ADS, subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. The capped call transactions are expected
to reduce potential dilution to existing holders of the ordinary shares and ADSs of iQIYI upon conversion of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and/or
offset any potential cash payments that iQIYI is required to make in excess of the principal amount of any converted notes, as the case may be, with
such reduction and/or offset subject to a cap.
iQIYI 2026 Convertible Senior Notes
On December 21, 2020, iQIYI issued US$800 million convertible senior notes and offered an additional US$100 million principal amount
simultaneously, pursuant to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional notes. On January 8, 2021, the additional US$100 million principal amount
was issued pursuant to the underwriters’ exercise of their option. The convertible senior notes issued on December 21, 2020 and January 8, 2021
(collectively referred to as the “iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes”) are senior, unsecured obligations of iQIYI, and interest is payable semi-annually in cash
at a rate of 4.00% per annum on June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on June 15, 2021. The iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes will mature on
December 15, 2026 unless redeemed, repurchased or converted prior to such date.
The initial conversion rate of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes is 44.8179 of iQIYI’s ADS per US$1,000 principal amount of the iQIYI 2026
Convertible Notes (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately US$22.31 per ADS). Prior to June 15, 2026, the iQIYI 2026
Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders only upon the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing
after the calendar quarter ending on March 31, 2021, if the last reported sale price of ADSs for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive)
during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater
than or equal to 130% of the conversion price; (2) during the five business day period after any ten consecutive trading day period in which the trading
price per US$1,000 principal amount of notes was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the ADSs and the conversion rate on
each such trading day; (3) if iQIYI calls the notes for a tax redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. Thereafter, the iQIYI
2026 Convertible Notes will be convertible at the option of the holders at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day
immediately preceding the maturity date. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events but is not adjusted for any accrued and unpaid
interest. In addition, following a make-whole fundamental change that occurs prior to the maturity date or following iQIYI’s delivery of a notice of a tax
redemption, iQIYI will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert its notes in connection with such a corporate event or such tax
redemption. Upon conversion, iQIYI will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, cash, ADSs, or a combination of cash and
ADSs, at its election.
The holders may require iQIYI to repurchase all or a portion of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes for cash on August 1, 2024, or upon a fundamental
change, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
Under the terms of the indentures governing the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible
Notes, events of default include:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
default in any payment of interest or additional amounts as defined under the respective indenture for a period of 30 days;
default in the payment of principal of any Convertible Notes when due;
failure by iQIYI to comply with its obligation to convert the Convertible Notes upon exercise of a holder’s conversion right for a period of
five business days;
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
(viii)
(ix)
(x)
failure by iQIYI to issue a Fundamental Change Company Notice or a Make-Whole Fundamental Change as defined under the respective
indenture or a specified corporate event when due for a period of five business days;
failure by iQIYI to comply with its obligations relating to consolidation, merger, sale, conveyance and lease under article 11 of the respective
indenture;
failure by iQIYI for 60 days after written notice from the trustee or by the trustee at the request of the holders of at least 25% in aggregate
principal amount of the respective Convertible Notes then outstanding has been received by iQIYI to comply with any of other agreements
contained in the respective Convertible Notes or the indenture;
default by iQIYI or its significant subsidiaries (defined in Article 1, Rule 1-02 of Regulation S-X), with respect to any mortgage, agreement
or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, secured or evidenced any indebtedness in excess of US$60 million (or an
equivalent amount in foreign currency), resulting in accelerated maturity or a failure to pay principal or interest when due, and such
indebtedness is not discharged, or such acceleration is not otherwise cured or rescinded, within 30 days;
a delay in payment or discharge of a final judgment for the payment of US$60 million (or an equivalent amount in foreign currency) rendered
against iQIYI or any of its significant subsidiaries;
iQIYI or any of its significant subsidiaries shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other
relief; and
an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against iQIYI or its significant subsidiaries seeking liquidation, reorganization or
other relief, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 30 consecutive days.
The indentures for these convertible notes define a “fundamental change” to include, among other things: (i) any person or group gaining control of
iQIYI, (ii) any recapitalization, reclassification or change of iQIYI’s ordinary shares or ADSs as a result of which these securities would be converted
into, or exchanged for, stock, other securities, other property or assets; (iii) the shareholders of iQIYI approving any plan or proposal for the liquidation
or dissolution of iQIYI; (iv) iQIYI’s ADSs ceasing to be listed on Nasdaq Stock Market; or (v) any change in or amendment to the laws, regulations and
rules of the PRC resulting in iQIYI being legally prohibited from operating substantially all of the business operations conducted by iQIYI being unable
to continue to derive substantially all of the economic benefits from the business operations conducted by these entities.
Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the trustee may declare the whole principal of, and accrued and unpaid interest on, all the Convertible Notes
to be due and payable immediately, subject to certain exceptions and conditions under the respective indenture. iQIYI may also be required to pay
additional interest. Upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, holders of the Convertible Notes will have the right, at their option, to require iQIYI
to repurchase all of their Convertible Notes or any portion of the principal amount and accrued and unpaid interests. In the event of a fundamental
change, iQIYI may also be required to issue additional ADSs upon conversion of its convertible notes. As of December 31, 2021, there was no such
event of default or fundamental change.
Accounting for Convertible Senior Notes
As the conversion option may be settled in cash at iQIYI’s option, iQIYI separated the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes
and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes (collectively as the “Convertible Notes”) into liability and equity components in accordance with ASC subtopic
470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (“ASC 470-20”). The carrying amount of the liability component was calculated by measuring the fair
value of a similar liability that does not have an associated conversion feature. The carrying
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
amount of the equity component representing the conversion option was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the
initial proceeds and recorded as additional paid-in capital. The difference between the principal amount of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes and the
liability component is considered debt discount and is amortized at an effective interest rate of 7.04% to accrete the discounted carrying value of the
iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes to its face value on December 1, 2021, the put date of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes. The difference between the
principal amount of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the liability component is considered debt discount and is amortized at an effective interest
rate of 6.01% to accrete the discounted carrying value of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes to its face value on April 1, 2023, the put date of the iQIYI
2025 Convertible Notes. The difference between the principal amount of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes and the liability component is considered
debt discount and is amortized at an effective interest rate of 6.94% to accrete the discounted carrying value of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes to its
face value on August 1, 2024, the put date of the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes.
The cost of the 2023 Capped Call and 2025 Capped Call of US$68 million and US$85 million were recorded as a reduction of the Company’s additional
paid-in capital and non-controlling interests on the consolidated balance sheets with no subsequent changes in fair value recorded.
The net proceeds from the issuance of the iQIYI 2023 Convertible Notes, the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes were
US$737 million, US$1.2 billion and US$884 million (equivalent to RMB5.8 billion), after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses of
US$13 million, US$21 million and US$16 million (equivalent to RMB103 million) from the initial proceeds of US$750 million, US$1.2 billion and
US$900 million, respectively. Debt issuance costs were allocated to the liability and equity components based on the same proportion as the recognized
amounts of liability and equity components determined above.
The carrying amount of the Convertible Notes as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 were as follows:
Liability component:
Principal
Less: unamortized debt discount
Net carrying amount
Equity component:
Carrying amount
As of December 31,
2021
RMB
2020
RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
17,954
1,275
16,679
13,403
751
12,652
2,103
118
1,985
1,744
1,793
281
For the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, the amount of interest cost recognized relating to both the contractual interest coupon and
amortization of the discount on the liability component were RMB670 million, RMB799 million and RMB1.1 billion (US$175 million), respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, the liability component of the iQIYI 2025 Convertible Notes and the iQIYI 2026 Convertible Notes would be accreted up to
the principal amount of US$1.2 billion and US$900 million over a remaining period of 1.25 years and 2.59 years, respectively. The amount repayable
within the next twelve months are classified as “Convertible senior notes, current portion” on the consolidated balance sheets.
The aggregate amounts upon scheduled maturities of RMB20 million (US$3 million), RMB7.6 billion (US$1.2 billion) and RMB5.7 billion (US$900
million) of the Convertible Notes will be repaid when they become due in 2023, 2025 and 2026, respectively, assuming there is no conversion of the
Convertible Notes, no redemption of
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
the Convertible Notes prior to their maturities and the convertible senior notes bondholders hold the Convertible Notes until their maturities and iQIYI
elects to fully settle the Convertible Notes in cash.
15. LEASES
The Company’s operating leases mainly related to land, offices facilities, IDC facilities and vehicles. For leases with terms greater than 12 months, the
Company records the related asset and obligation at the present value of lease payments over the term. Certain leases include rental escalation clauses,
renewal options and/or termination options that are factored into the Company’s determination of lease payments when appropriate. As of December 31,
2021, finance leases were insignificant.
As of December 31, 2021, the weighted average remaining lease term was 16.7 years and weighted average discount rate was 4.43% for the Group’s
operating leases.
Operating lease costs were RMB3.0 billion and RMB3.2 billion (US$501 million) for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively, which
excluded short-term lease costs. Short-term lease costs were RMB427 million and RMB475 million (US$75 million) for the years ended December 31,
2020 and 2021, respectively. Variable lease cost was immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021. For the years ended December 31,
2020 and 2021, no lease costs for operating or finance leases were capitalized.
Supplemental cash flow information related to operating leases was as follows:
Cash payments for operating leases
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease liabilities
Future lease payments under operating leases as of December 31, 2021 were as follows:
Year ending December 31,
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Total future lease payments
Less: Imputed interest
Total lease liability balance
F-67
For the years ended
December 31,
2021
RMB
(In millions)
4,238
4,434
2021
US$
665
696
2020
RMB
5,187
2,841
Operating leases
RMB
US$
(In millions)
2,946
2,307
1,755
1,070
595
603
9,276
845
8,431
462
362
275
168
93
95
1,455
131
1,324
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
As of December 31, 2021, additional operating leases that have not yet commenced were immaterial.
16.
INCOME TAXES
Cayman Islands and BVI
Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands and BVI, the Company is not subject to tax on income or capital gains. Additionally, upon payment of
dividends by the Company to its shareholders, no Cayman Islands withholding tax will be imposed.
Hong Kong
Subsidiaries in Hong Kong are subject to Hong Kong Profits Tax rate at 16.5%, and foreign-derived income is exempted from income tax. There are no
withholding taxes in Hong Kong on remittance of dividends.
Japan
As a result of the Japanese tax regulations amendments, the effective income tax rates were approximately 31% for all years ended December 31, 2019,
2020 and 2021.
China
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax (“EIT”) Law, which has been effective since January 1, 2008, domestic enterprises and Foreign Investment
Enterprises (the “FIE”) are subject to a unified 25% enterprise income tax rate, except for certain entities that are entitled to preferential tax treatments.
Preferential EIT rates at 15% is available for qualified “High and New Technology Enterprises” (“HNTEs”). The HNTE certificate is effective for a
period of three years.
Certain PRC subsidiaries and VIEs, including Baidu Online, Baidu China, Baidu International and Baidu Netcom, etc. are qualified HNTEs and enjoy a
reduced tax rate of 15% for the years presented, which will expire in 2022 and 2023. An entity could re-apply for the HNTE certificate when the prior
certificate expires. Historically, all of the Company’s subsidiaries and VIEs successfully re-applied for the certificates when the prior ones expired.
Under the current EIT Law, dividends for earnings derived from January 1, 2008 and onwards paid by PRC entities to any of their foreign non-resident
enterprise investors are subject to a 10% withholding tax. A lower tax rate will be applied if tax treaty or arrangement benefits are available. Under the
tax arrangement between the PRC and Hong Kong, the reduced withholding tax rate for dividends paid by PRC entities is 5% provided the Hong Kong
investors meet the requirements as stipulated by relevant PRC tax regulations, such as the beneficiary owner test. Capital gains derived from the PRC
are also subject to a 10% PRC withholding tax.
(Loss) income before income taxes consists of:
PRC
Non-PRC
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
13,076
(13,416)
(340)
19,711
3,379
23,090
15,055
(4,277)
10,778
2,362
(671)
1,691
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Except for the investment related loss recognized, the pre-tax losses from non-PRC operations consist primarily of operating costs, administration
expenses, interest expenses and share-based compensation expenses.
Income taxes consist of:
Current income tax
Income tax refund due to reduced tax rate
Adjustments of deferred tax assets due to change in tax rates
Deferred income tax (benefit) expense
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(In millions)
3,564
(920)
9
(705)
1,948
4,668
(719)
(5)
120
4,064
3,636
—
109
(558)
3,187
571
—
17
(88)
500
The reconciliation of the actual income taxes to the amount of tax computed by applying the aforementioned statutory income tax rate to pre-tax income
is as follows:
Expected taxation at PRC statutory tax rate
Effect of differing tax rates in different jurisdictions
Non-taxable income
Non-deductible expenses
Research and development super-deduction
Effect of PRC preferential tax rates and tax holiday
Effect of tax rate changes on deferred taxes
Reversal of prior year’s income taxes
PRC withholding tax
Valuation allowance
Taxation for the year
Effective tax rate
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions, except for per share data)
(85)
3,299
(419)
2,124
(1,245)
(1,327)
9
(1,134)
(224)
950
1,948
5,773
208
(995)
3,416
(1,549)
(2,891)
(5)
(951)
122
936
4,064
2,694
656
(89)
965
(1,645)
(1,557)
109
(734)
615
2,173
3,187
2021
US$
423
103
(14)
150
(258)
(244)
17
(115)
97
341
500
(573%)
18%
29.6%
29.6%
Effect of preferential tax rates inside the PRC on basic earnings per Class A and Class B
ordinary share (Note)
0.49
1.06
0.56
0.09
Note: Effect of preferential tax rates inside the PRC on basic earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary share for the years ended December 31, 2019,
2020 and 2021 have been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision that became effective on March 1, 2021, as detailed in Notes 1 and 21.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The tax effects of temporary differences that gave rise to the deferred tax balances at December 31, 2020 and 2021 are as follows:
Deferred tax assets:
Allowance for credit losses
Accrued expenses, payroll and others
Fixed assets depreciation
Net operating loss carry-forwards
Less: valuation allowance
Deferred tax assets, net
Deferred tax liabilities:
Long-lived assets arising from acquisitions
Withholding tax on PRC subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings
Tax on capital gains
Others
2020
RMB
As of December 31,
2021
RMB
(In millions)
452
5,456
106
1,811
(5,895)
1,930
622
6,988
112
2,980
(8,068)
2,634
2021
US$
98
1,095
18
468
(1,266)
413
As of December 31,
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(In millions)
406
1,381
943
593
3,323
508
1,803
996
241
3,548
80
283
156
38
557
As of December 31, 2021, the Company had tax losses of approximately RMB16.6 billion (US$2.6 billion) deriving from entities in the PRC, Hong
Kong, Singapore and Japan. The tax losses in Japan can be carried forward for nine years to offset future taxable profit. The tax losses in PRC can be
carried forward for five years to offset future taxable profit, and the period is currently extended to 10 years for entities qualified as HNTE. The tax
losses of entities in the PRC and Japan will expire from 2022 to 2031, if not utilized. The tax losses in Hong Kong and Singapore can be carried forward
with no expiration date.
As of December 31, 2021, dividend distribution withholding tax for the potential remittance of earnings from the PRC subsidiaries to offshore entities
was RMB1.9 billion (US$284 million). The Company believes that the underlying dividends will be distributed in the future for offshore use, such as
merger and acquisition activities. The Company did not provide for additional deferred income taxes and foreign withholding taxes on the undistributed
earnings of foreign subsidiaries during the years presented on the basis of its intent to permanently reinvest its foreign subsidiaries’ earnings. As of
December 31, 2021, the total amount of undistributed earnings from the PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs for which no withholding tax has been accrued
was RMB165.5 billion (US$26.0 billion). Determination of the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to these earnings is not practicable.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
17. EMPLOYEE DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLAN
Full time employees of the Group in the PRC participate in a government mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan pursuant to which certain
pension benefits, medical care, unemployment insurance, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to employees. Chinese labor
regulations require that the Group make contributions to the government for these benefits based on certain percentages of the employees’ salaries. The
Group has no legal obligation for the benefits beyond the contributions. Total amounts for such employee benefits, which were expensed as incurred,
were RMB3.2 billion, 2.7 billion and RMB4.1 billion (US$643 million) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
18. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Capital Commitments
The Group’s capital commitments primarily relate to commitments in connection with the expansion and improvement of its network infrastructure and
its plan to build additional office buildings and cloud computing based data centers. Total capital commitments contracted but not yet reflected in the
financial statements amounted to RMB4.1 billion (US$641 million) as of December 31, 2021. Almost all of the commitments relating to the network
infrastructure, office building and cloud computing based data centers are to be fulfilled within one year.
Commitments for bandwidth and property management fees
Future minimum payments under non-cancelable agreements for bandwidth and property management fees consist of the following as of December 31,
2021:
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Future minimum lease payments for operating lease commitments as of December 31, 2021 are disclosed in Note 15.
F-71
RMB
(In millions)
326
146
63
21
4
26
586
US$
51
23
10
3
1
4
92
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Licensed Copyrights and Produced Content Commitments
Future minimum payments under non-cancelable agreements for licensed copyrights and produced content consist of the following as of December 31,
2021:
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Thereafter
Investment Commitments
RMB
US$
(In millions)
10,578
5,174
3,156
1,538
147
37
20,630
1,660
812
495
241
23
6
3,237
The Group’s investment commitments primarily relate to capital contribution obligations under certain arrangements which do not have specified
contractual maturity dates. The total investment commitments contracted but not yet reflected in the consolidated financial statements amounted to
RMB1.3 billion (US$199 million).
Guarantees
The Group accounts for guarantees in accordance with ASC Topic 460, Guarantees (“ASC 460”). Accordingly, the Company evaluates its guarantees if
any to determine whether (a) the guarantee is specifically excluded from the scope of ASC 460, (b) the guarantee is subject to ASC 460 disclosure
requirements only, but not subject to the initial recognition and measurement provisions, or (c) the guarantee is required to be recorded in the financial
statements at fair value.
The corporate by-laws require that the Company indemnify its officers and directors, as well as those who act as directors and officers of other entities at
the Company’s request, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any
proceedings arising out of their services to the Company. In addition, the Company entered into separate indemnification agreements with each director
and each executive officer of the Company that provide for indemnification of these directors and officers under similar circumstances and under
additional circumstances. The indemnification obligations are more fully described in the by-laws and the indemnification agreements. The Company
purchases standard directors and officers insurance to cover claims or a portion of the claims made against its directors and officers. Since a maximum
obligation is not explicitly stated in the Company’s by-laws or in the indemnification agreements and will depend on the facts and circumstances that
arise out of any future claims, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated.
Historically, the Company was not required to make payments related to these obligations, and the fair value for these obligations was nil on the
consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2021.
Litigation
The Group was involved in certain cases pending in various PRC, U.S. and Brazil courts and arbitration as of December 31, 2021. These cases include
copyright infringement cases, unfair competition cases, and defamation
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
cases, among others. Adverse results in these lawsuits may include awards of damages and may also result in, or even compel, a change in the
Company’s business practices, which could result in a loss of revenue or otherwise harm the business of the Company.
Starting in April 2020, the Group and certain of its officers were named as defendants in putative securities class actions filed in federal court. The case
was purportedly brought on behalf of a class of persons who allegedly suffered damages as a result of alleged misstatements and omissions in the
Group’s public disclosure documents related to Baidu Feed, which they believe did not comply with “PRC laws and regulations in all material respects”.
In addition, the Group received a complaint alleging that between April 8, 2016 and August 13, 2020, the Group made material misrepresentations in
disclosures filed with the SEC by misrepresenting the financial and business condition of iQIYI and failing to disclose that iQIYI had inadequate
controls. Both of those cases remain in preliminary stage, the likelihood of any unfavorable outcome or the amount or range of any potential loss cannot
be reasonably estimated at the issuance date of the consolidated financial statements. As a result, as of December 31, 2021, the Group did not record any
liabilities for the loss contingencies pertaining to the cases described above.
For many proceedings, the Company is currently unable to estimate the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible losses as the
proceedings are in the early stages, and/or there is a lack of clear or consistent interpretation of laws specific to the industry-specific complaints among
different jurisdictions. As a result, there is considerable uncertainty regarding the timing or ultimate resolution of such matters, which includes eventual
loss, fine, penalty or business impact, if any, and therefore, an estimate for the reasonably possible loss or a range of reasonably possible losses cannot
be made. However, the Company believes that such matters, individually and in the aggregate, when finally resolved, are not reasonably likely to have a
material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. With respect to the limited number of
proceedings for which the Company was able to estimate the reasonably possible losses or the range of reasonably possible losses, such loss estimates
were insignificant.
19. REDEEMABLE NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
Balance as of January 1
Business combinations (Note 3)
Issuance of subsidiary shares
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Reclassification of ordinary shares from mezzanine equity to ordinary shares
Repurchase of redeemable noncontrolling interests
Balance as of December 31
2019
RMB
716
182
100
111
—
—
1,109
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions)
1,109
—
1,866
127
—
—
3,102
3,102
—
4,722
391
(153)
(914)
7,148
2021
US$
487
—
741
61
(24)
(143)
1,122
SLG had issued 61,666,667 and 124,364,350, as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively, preferred shares to certain non-controlling shareholders,
which could be redeemed by such shareholders upon the occurrence of certain events that are not solely within the control of the Company. Therefore,
these preferred shares were accounted for as redeemable noncontrolling interests.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The Company also have other subsidiaries or VIEs that have issued preferred shares which were accounted for as redeemable noncontrolling interests.
As of December 31, 2021, those redeemable noncontrolling interests were insignificant.
The Company accounts for the changes in accretion to the redemption value in accordance with ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity.
The Company elects to use the effective interest method to account for the changes of redemption value over the period from the date of issuance to the
earliest redemption date of the noncontrolling interest.
20.
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Shares
The authorized share capital consisted of 69,632,000,000 shares at a par value of US$0.000000625 per share (previously US$0.00005 per share before
the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1), of which 66,000,000,000 shares were designated as Class A ordinary shares, 2,832,000,000 as Class B
ordinary shares, and 800,000,000 shares designated as preferred shares (previously 825,000,000 shares were designated as Class A ordinary shares,
35,400,000 as Class B ordinary shares, and 10,000,000 shares designated as preferred shares before the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1). The
rights of the holders of Class A and Class B ordinary shares are identical, except with respect to voting and conversion rights. Each share of Class A
ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and is not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Each share of Class B
ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share and is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Upon any transfer
of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an affiliate of such holder, such Class B ordinary shares would be
automatically converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares. The number of Class B ordinary shares transferred to Class A ordinary shares
was nil, 4,200,000 and 12,600,000 in the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, there were 2,205,032,472 and 559,300,320 Class A and Class B ordinary shares outstanding (previously 27,562,906 and
6,991,254 Class A and Class B ordinary shares before the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1), respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and 2021,
there were no preferred shares issued and outstanding.
On June 27, 2018, the Company announced a share repurchase program under which the Company proposed to acquire up to an aggregate of
US$1.0 billion of its ordinary shares over the next 12 months in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, depending on market
conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
On May 16, 2019, the Company announced a share repurchase program under which the Company proposed to acquire up to an aggregate of
US$1.0 billion of its ordinary shares, effective until July 1, 2020 in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions, depending on market
conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.
On May 13, 2020, the Company announced a share repurchase program (“2020 share repurchase program”) under which the Company proposed to
acquire up to an aggregate of US$1.0 billion of its ordinary shares, effective until July 1, 2021 in the open market or through privately negotiated
transactions, depending on market conditions and in accordance with applicable rules and regulations. In August 2020, the board of directors approved a
change to the 2020 share repurchase program, increasing the repurchase authorization from US$1.0 billion to US$3.0 billion, and in December 2020, the
repurchase authorization was further increased from US$3.0 billion to US$4.5 billion, which is effective through December 31, 2022.
F-74
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The Company repurchased 53,162,720, 126,096,000 and 57,343,528 Class A ordinary shares (previously 664,534, 1,576,200 and 716,794 Class A
ordinary shares before the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1) from the open market with an aggregate purchase price of RMB5.0 billion,
RMB13.1 billion and RMB7.6 billion (US$1.2 billion) during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Before December 31, 2020, the
repurchased shares were cancelled under Cayman Islands law upon repurchase and the difference between the par value and the repurchase price was
debited to retained earnings. In 2021, repurchased shares were recorded in treasury stock account.
Treasury stock
The treasury stock account includes nil ordinary shares and 57,343,528 ordinary shares repurchased from the open market as of December 31, 2020 and
2021, respectively.
Retained Earnings
In accordance with the Regulations on Enterprises with Foreign Investment of China and their articles of association, the Company’s PRC subsidiaries,
being foreign invested enterprises established in China, are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserves, namely a general reserve fund,
an enterprise expansion fund, a staff welfare fund and a bonus fund, all of which are appropriated from net profit as reported in their PRC statutory
accounts. Each of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to a general reserve fund until such fund has
reached 50% of its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus funds are at the discretion
of the Company’s subsidiaries.
In accordance with the China Company Laws, the Company’s VIEs must make appropriations from their after-tax profits as reported in their PRC
statutory accounts to non-distributable reserve funds, namely a statutory surplus fund, a statutory public welfare fund and a discretionary surplus fund.
Each of the Company’s VIEs is required to allocate at least 10% of its after-tax profits to the statutory surplus fund until such fund has reached 50% of
its respective registered capital. Appropriations to the statutory public welfare fund and the discretionary surplus fund are made at the discretion of the
Company’s VIEs.
General reserve and statutory surplus funds are restricted to set-off against losses, expansion of production and operation and increasing registered
capital of the respective company. Staff welfare and bonus fund and statutory public welfare funds are restricted to capital expenditures for the collective
welfare of employees. The reserves are not allowed to be transferred to the Company in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances, nor are they
allowed for distribution except under liquidation.
PRC statutory reserve funds
Unreserved retained earnings
Total retained earnings
F-75
2020
RMB
As of December 31,
2021
RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
806
134,478
135,284
1,098
144,062
145,160
172
22,607
22,779
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Under PRC laws and regulations, there are restrictions on the Company’s PRC subsidiaries and VIEs with respect to transferring certain of their net
assets to the Company either in the form of dividends, loans, or advances. Amounts of net assets restricted include paid in capital and statutory reserve
funds of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of the VIEs in which the Company has no legal ownership, totaling RMB45.0 billion and
RMB45.9 billion (US$7.2 billion) as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Furthermore, cash transfers from the Company’s PRC subsidiaries to their parent companies outside of China are subject to PRC government control of
currency conversion. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of the PRC subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities
to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or other payments to the Company, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency denominated
obligations.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component, net of tax, were as follows:
Foreign
currency
translation
adjustment
RMB
Unrealized
gains (losses) on
available-for-sale
investments
RMB
Unrealized
gain on
derivative
Balance at December 31, 2018
Other comprehensive income before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Net current-period other comprehensive loss
Other comprehensive income attribute to noncontrolling interests and
redeemable noncontrolling interests
Balance at December 31, 2019
Other comprehensive income before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)
Other comprehensive income attribute to noncontrolling interests and
redeemable noncontrolling interests
Balance at December 31, 2020
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Net current-period other comprehensive (loss) income
Other comprehensive (loss) income attribute to noncontrolling interests and
redeemable noncontrolling interests
Balance at December 31, 2021
Balance at December 31, 2021, in US$
F-76
(1,700)
207
(989)
(782)
(102)
(2,584)
1,936
—
1,936
(192)
(840)
(88)
—
(88)
(79)
(1,007)
(157)
(In millions)
1,910
1,981
(2,689)
(708)
(1)
1,201
380
(541)
(161)
(1)
1,039
(190)
—
(190)
1
850
133
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
149
—
149
—
149
23
Total
RMB
210
2,188
(3,678)
(1,490)
(103)
(1,383)
2,316
(541)
1,775
(193)
199
(129)
—
(129)
(78)
(8)
(1)
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) represent realized foreign currency translation adjustments, which
mainly arise from the disposal of partial interests in Trip and realized gains (losses) on the sales of available-for-sale investments, which were recorded
in “Others, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income. The amounts reclassified were determined on the basis of specific
identification. Losses on intracompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term-investment nature in the amount of nil, RMB1.2 billion and
RMB537 million (US$84 million) were included in the foreign currency translation adjustment for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021,
respectively.
In October 2019, the Company completed a partial disposal of its investment in Trip and the corresponding accumulated other comprehensive income of
RMB989 million was reclassified to income and recorded as “Others, net” in the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss for the year ended
December 31, 2019.
The following table sets forth the tax benefit (expense) allocated to each component of other comprehensive (loss) income for the years ended
December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021:
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale investments
Other comprehensive income before reclassification
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income
Net current-period other comprehensive (loss) income
21. EARNINGS PER SHARE
For the years ended
December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
(In millions)
(280) (59)
(3) —
402 83 — —
(3) —
122 24
Following the Share Subdivision as detailed in Notes 1 and 20, each ordinary share was subdivided into eighty ordinary shares and each ADS represents
eight Class A ordinary shares. The weighted average number of ordinary shares used for the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share/ADS for
the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been retrospectively adjusted.
A reconciliation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income to the numerator for the
computation of basic and diluted per share for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 is as follows:
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
Net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Accretion of the redeemable noncontrolling interests
Numerator for basic EPS computation
Impact of subsidiaries’ and investees’ diluted earnings per share
Numerator for diluted EPS computation
F-77
(In millions, including number of shares,
except for per share data)
22,472
(88)
22,384
—
22,384
10,226
(350)
9,876
—
9,876
2,057
(77)
1,980
(28)
1,952
1,605
(55)
1,550
—
1,550
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per Class A and Class B ordinary share and basic and diluted earnings per
ADS:
Earnings per share—basic:
Numerator
Allocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Denominator
Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding (Note)
Denominator used for basic EPS (Note)
Earnings per share—basic (Note)
Earnings per share—diluted:
Numerator
Allocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. for diluted computation
Reallocation of net income attributable to Baidu, Inc. as a result of conversion of Class B to
Class A shares
Numerator for diluted EPS calculation
Denominator
Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding (Note)
Conversion of Class B to Class A ordinary shares (Note)
Share-based awards (Note)
Denominator used for diluted EPS (Note)
Earnings per share—diluted (Note)
Earnings per ADS (1 ADS equals 8 Class A ordinary shares) ：
Denominator used for earnings per ADS—basic (Note)
Denominator used for earnings per ADS—diluted (Note)
Earnings per ADS—basic (Note)
Earnings per ADS—diluted (Note)
For the years ended December 31,
2019
2020
2021
2021
Class A Class B Class A Class B Class A Class A Class B Class B
RMB RMB RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB US$
(In millions, including number of shares and ADS, except for
per share and per ADS data)
1,571
409 17,683 4,701 7,871 1,235 2,005
315
2,211
2,211
576 2,158
576 2,158
574 2,198 2,198
574 2,198 2,198
560
560
560
560
0.71 0.71
8.19 8.19 3.58 0.56 3.58 0.56
1,549
403 17,723 4,661 7,910 1,242 1,966
308
403 — 4,661 — 1,966
1,952
403 22,384 4,661 9,876 1,550 1,966
308 — —
308
2,211
576 2,158
576 —
4 —
574 —
24 —
574 2,198 2,198
560
56
574 2,814 2,814
560
560
560 — —
56 — —
560
560
2,791
576 2,756
0.70 0.70
8.12 8.12 3.51 0.55 3.51 0.55
276
349
270
344
275
275
352
352
5.68
65.54
28.64 4.49
5.60
64.98
28.07 4.40
Note: Basic and diluted net earnings per share, the number of shares and the adjustments for dilutive restricted shares and share options for the years ended December 31,
2019 and 2020 have been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision and the ADS Ratio Change that took effect on March 1, 2021, as detailed in Note 1.
The Company did not include certain share options, restricted shares and the effect of convertible senior notes issued by iQIYI in the computation of
diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 because those share options, restricted shares and convertible senior
notes were anti-dilutive for earnings per share for the respective years.
F-78
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
22.
SHARE-BASED AWARDS PLAN
Baidu, Inc.
2008 Share Incentive plan
In December 2008, the Company adopted a share incentive plan (the “2008 Plan”), which provides for the granting of share incentives, including
incentive share options (“ISOs”), restricted shares and any other form of award pursuant to the 2008 Plan, to members of the board, employees,
consultants and non-employees of the Company. The Company reserved 274,302,160 Class A ordinary shares (previously 3,428,777 Class A ordinary
shares before the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1) for issuance under the 2008 Plan, which expired in the year 2018. The vesting schedule, time
and condition to exercise options is determined by the Company’s compensation committee. The term of the options may not exceed ten years from the
date of the grant, except that five years is the maximum term of an ISO granted to an employee who holds more than 10% of the voting power of the
Company’s share capital.
Under the 2008 Plan, the exercise price of an option may be amended or adjusted at the discretion of the compensation committee, the determination of
which would be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise
prices would be effective without the approval of the Company’s shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If the Company grants an ISO to
an employee who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of the Company’s share capital,
the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of the Company’s ordinary shares on the date of that grant.
2018 Share Incentive Plan
In July 2018, the Company adopted a share incentive plan (the “2018 Plan”), which provides for the granting of share incentives, including ISOs,
restricted shares and any other form of award pursuant to the 2018 Plan, to members of the board, employees, consultants, and non-employees of the
Company. The 2018 Plan has a ten-year term and a maximum number of 275,516,000 Class A ordinary shares (previously 3,443,950 Class A ordinary
shares before the Share Subdivision as detailed in Note 1) available for issuance pursuant to all awards under the 2018 Plan.
Under the 2018 Plan, the exercise price of an option may be amended or adjusted at the discretion of the compensation committee, the determination of
which would be final, binding and conclusive. To the extent not prohibited by applicable laws or exchange rules, a downward adjustment of the exercise
prices would be effective without the approval of the Company’s shareholders or the approval of the affected grantees. If the Company grants an ISO to
an employee who, at the time of that grant, owns shares representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of the Company’s share capital,
the exercise price cannot be less than 110% of the fair market value of the Company’s ordinary shares on the date of that grant.
Following the Share Subdivision that took effect on March 1, 2021 as detailed in Notes 1 and 21, each Class A ordinary share was subdivided into
eighty Class A ordinary shares and each ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares. Prior and subsequent to March 1, 2021, one ordinary share was
and will be issuable upon the vesting of one outstanding restricted share or the exercise of one outstanding share option, respectively. Therefore,
following the Share Subdivision, each share option and restricted share is subdivided into eighty share options and eighty restricted shares, the weighted
average grant date fair value per restricted share and the weighted average exercise price per share option is diluted by eighty times. The number of
restricted shares and share options, the weighted average grant date fair value per restricted share and the weighted average exercise
F-79
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
price per share option for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2020 has been retrospectively adjusted for the Share Subdivision in the following
tables.
Incentive share options
The following table summarizes the option activity for the year ended December 31, 2021:
Incentive share options
Outstanding, December 31, 2020
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited/Cancelled
Outstanding, December 31, 2021
Vested and expected to vest
at December 31, 2021
Exercisable at December 31, 2021
Number of share
options
Weighted average
exercise price
(US$)
24,219,040
1,299,528
(3,040,752)
(1,024,256)
21,453,560
18,836,432
14,356,680
17
17
15
14
17
18
19
Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
(Years)
Aggregate
intrinsic
value (US$ in
millions)
7
245
6
6
5
84
69
44
The aggregate intrinsic value in the table above represents the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day in 2021 and
the exercise price.
Total intrinsic value of options exercised for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 was RMB77 million, RMB157 million and
RMB210 million (US$33 million), respectively. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 was
RMB216 million, RMB261 million and RMB217 million (US$34 million), respectively.
Share options are usually subject to vesting schedules ranging from two to four years. As of December 31, 2021, RMB134 million (US$21 million) of
unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to share options is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.2 years.
To the extent the actual forfeiture rate is different from the original estimate, actual share-based compensation costs related to these awards may be
different from expectation.
The fair value of each option award was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes-Merton valuation model. The volatility assumption was
estimated based on historical volatility of the Company’s share price applying the guidance provided by ASC 718. Assumptions of the expected term
were based on the vesting and contractual terms and employee demographics. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of the option is
based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant.
F-80
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The following table presents the assumptions used to estimate the fair values of the share options granted in the years presented:
Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield
Expected volatility range
Expected life (in years)
2019
1.58%~2.49%
—
34.62%~35.14%
5.83~6.03
For the years ended December 31
2020
1.51~1.52%
—
34.83%~34.92%
5.90~6.01
2021
0.63~1.23%
—
38.12%~39.82%
5.80~5.86
In addition, the Company recognizes share-based compensation expense net of estimated forfeiture rates, to recognize compensation cost for shares
expected to vest over the service period of the award. Estimated forfeiture rates are primarily based on historical experience of employee turnover. To
the extent the Company revises this estimate in the future, share-based compensation expense could be materially impacted in the year of revision, as
well as in the following years.
The exercise price of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 equaled the market price of the ordinary shares on the
grant date. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 was US$5, US$9
and US$12, respectively.
Restricted Shares
Restricted Shares activity for the year ended December 31, 2021 was as follow:
Restricted Shares
Unvested, December 31, 2020
Granted
Vested
Forfeited/Cancelled
Unvested, December 31, 2021
Number of shares
130,501,520
68,985,632
(44,506,528)
(16,540,152)
138,440,472
Weighted average grant date
fair value (US$)
16
23
18
17
19
The total fair value of the restricted shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021 was RMB4.1 billion, RMB4.6 billion and
RMB5.0 billion (US$782 million), respectively. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of the Restricted Shares granted during the years ended
December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021 was US$16, US$14 and US$23, respectively.
As of December 31, 2021, there was RMB8.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) of unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to restricted shares, which
is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.7 years. To the extent the actual forfeiture rate is different from the original
estimate, the actual share-based compensation costs related to these awards may be different from expectation. To the extent the Company revises this
estimate in the future, share-based compensation expense could be materially impacted in the year of revision, as well as in the following years.
F-81
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Subsidiaries-iQIYI
2010 Equity Incentive Plan
In October 2010, iQIYI adopted its 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “iQIYI 2010 Plan”), which permits the grant of restricted shares, options and share
appreciation rights to the employees, directors, officers and consultants to purchase iQIYI’s ordinary shares. The 2010 Plan is valid and effective for an
original term of ten years, and further extended to twenty years on September 15, 2020 commencing from its adoption. Except for service conditions,
there were no other vesting conditions for all the awards under the 2010 Plan. As of December 31, 2021, the share option pool under the iQIYI 2010
Plan approved by the Board of Directors of iQIYI was 589,729,714 iQIYI’s ordinary shares. All options granted vest over a four-year period, with 25%
of the awards vesting on the first anniversary, and the remaining 75% of the awards vesting on a quarterly basis thereafter.
The following table sets forth the summary of employee option activity under the iQIYI’s 2010 Plan:
Outstanding, December 31, 2020
Granted
Forfeited/Expired
Exercised
Outstanding, December 31, 2021
Vested and expected to vest
at December 31, 2021
Exercisable at December 31, 2021
Number of share options
420,698,274
2,583,000
(16,151,880)
(65,463,860)
341,665,534
335,342,645
253,949,473
Weighted
average
exercise price
（US$）
0.49
0.51
0.51
0.43
0.49
0.48
0.48
Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
(Years)
7
Aggregate
intrinsic
value (US$ in
millions)
846
7
7
6
57
56
45
As of December 31, 2021, there was RMB1.1 billion (US$174 million) of unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to share options granted
by iQIYI. That deferred cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average vesting period of 2.1 years.
2017 Share Incentive Plan
In November 2017, iQIYI adopted its 2017 Share Incentive Plan (the “iQIYI 2017 Plan”). Under the iQIYI 2017 Plan, iQIYI is authorized to grant
options, restricted shares and restricted share units to members of the board, employees, consultants and other individuals for which the maximum
aggregate number of ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards is 720,000 iQIYI’s ordinary shares. The iQIYI 2017 Plan is valid and
effective for a term of ten years commencing from its adoption. Except for service conditions, there are no other vesting conditions for all the awards
issued under iQIYI 2017 Plan. As of December 31, 2021, all restricted shares granted under iQIYI 2017 Plan are either vested or forfeited, and there
was no unrecognized share-based compensation cost related to these restricted shares.
2021 Equity Incentive Plan
On December 2, 2021, iQIYI adopted its 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the “iQIYI 2021 Plan”), which permits the grant of restricted shares units and
options to the directors, employees, consultants and other individuals of iQIYI. Under the 2021 Plan, the maximum aggregate number of ordinary shares
which may be issued pursuant to
F-82
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
all awards shall initially be 364,000,000 iQIYI’s ordinary shares, provided that if restricted share units are granted, each restricted share unit (that
entitles the holder to one ordinary share) granted shall reduce the number of ordinary shares under the 2021 Plan available for future grants by 1.3
ordinary shares. The 2021 Plan is valid and effective for a term of ten years commencing from its adoption. Except for service conditions, there were no
other vesting conditions for all the awards under the 2021 Plan. Any unvested portion of the restricted shares units and options will be forfeited upon the
termination of the grantee’s service for any reason. In the event the grantee’s service is terminated for cause other than death or permanent disability, the
vested portion of the options will be expired upon 90 days following such termination. As of December 31, 2021, iQIYI has not granted any restricted
shares units or options under the 2021 Plan.
The following table summarizes the share-based compensation cost recognized by iQIYI:
Expensed as cost of revenues
Expensed as selling, general and administrative
Expensed as research and development
The following table summarizes the total share-based compensation cost recognized by the Group:
Expensed as cost of revenues
Expensed as selling, general and administrative
Expensed as research and development
Other Subsidiaries
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
171
676
238
1,085
(In millions)
202
851
317
1,370
173
718
328
1,219
2021
US$
27
113
51
191
For the years ended December 31,
2019
RMB
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
2021
US$
327
1,768
3,531
5,626
(In millions)
360
1,897
4,471
6,728
399
1,840
4,817
7,056
62
289
756
1,107
In fiscal year 2021, several subsidiaries of the Company have granted restricted shares and share options tied to the valuation of the subsidiaries to the
employees of the Company, of which will be settled by the subsidiaries upon vesting or exercise of these awards. These awards are generally subject to a
four-year vesting schedule as determined by the administrator of the plan. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the expenses recognized in respect
of the share-based awards relating to these subsidiaries are insignificant.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
23. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Related party transactions with investees
Related party transactions provided by the Company primarily related to online marketing services, cloud services and other services. The following
table summarizes the revenue recognized from transactions with investees for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
For the years ended December 31,
2019
2021
RMB RMB RMB US$
2021
2020
Revenues:
Related Party A
Related Party B
Related Party E
Other Investees
Total
627
731
280
1,394
3,032
204
678
949
1,015
2,846
315
888
126
1,038
2,367
49
139
20
163
371
The Group purchased produced content and licensed copyrights, traffic acquisition and other services from equity investees in an amount of
RMB3.0 billion, RMB1.9 billion and RMB3.0 billion (US$464 million) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Related party transactions with others
In 2021, related party transactions with Related Party D, a party which the Company can significantly influence the management or operating policies,
mainly related to content purchased from and online marketing services sold to related party D, which amounted to RMB51 million (US$8 million) and
RMB2.0 billion (US$312 million), respectively. In addition, other related party transactions were insignificant for each of the years presented, which
included reimbursements to Robin Li’s use of an aircraft beneficially owned by his family member used for the Company’s business purposes.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Balances of due from/due to related parties
As of December 31, 2020 and 2021, amounts due from/due to related parties were as follows:
Expect for the non-trade balances as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 relate to transactions disclosed below, amounts due from/due to related parties
arising from the ordinary and usual course of business of the Group and were trade in nature.
Amounts due from related parties, current:
Related Party A(i)
Related Party B(ii)
Related Party E(iii)
Related Party D(xii)
Other related parties(iv)
Total
Amounts due from related parties, non-current:
Related Party B(ii)
Other related parties(v)
Total
Amounts due to related parties, current:
Related Party A(vi)
Related Party B(vii)
Related Party F(viii)
Other related parties(ix)
Total
Amounts due to related parties, non-current:
Related Party B(x)
Related Party F(viii)
Other related parties(xi)
Total
As of December 31,
2020
RMB
2021
RMB
(In millions)
2021
US$
22
306
212
—
186
726
22
375
—
514
457
1,368
3
59
—
81
72
215
3,398
40
3,438
3,405
82
3,487
534
13
547
50
489
175
610
1,324
37
457
305
965
1,764
3,216
325
2
3,543
3,139
128
1
3,268
6
72
48
151
277
493
20
—
513
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
The balances mainly represent amounts arising from online marketing services, cloud services and other services the Company provided to
Related Party A.
The balances represent non-trade long-term loans due from Related Party B with interest rates ranging from 0.00% to 0.50%, and amounts
arising from services the Company provided to Related Party B.
The balances mainly represent amounts arising from services including online marketing services and cloud services the Company provided to
Related Party E. Related Party E ceases to be a related party from February 2021 as the Company does not have significant influence over
Related Party E after its public listing.
The balances mainly represent amounts arising from cloud services and other services the Company provided to its investees in ordinary course
of business.
The balance consists of amount due from the Company’s investees in the ordinary course of business.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
(vi)
(vii)
The balances mainly represent amounts arising from deferred revenue relating to the future online marketing services and other services to be
provided by the Company to Related Party A and business trip services provided by Related Party A.
The balance represents amount due to Related Party B arising from services provided by Related Party B to the Company in the ordinary course
of business and non-trade loans provided by Related Party B with interest rates of nil.
(viii) The balances mainly represent deferred revenue relating to the future services to be provided by the Company to Related Party F which is an
equity method investment investee.
The balances mainly represent amounts arising from services including advertising services and licensing of content assets provided by the
Company’s investees and non-trade amounts payable for acquiring the equity interest of the Company’s investees.
The balances mainly represent non-trade interest-free long-term loans provided by Related Party B.
The balance mainly represents deferred revenue relating to the future services to be provided by the Company to investees.
The balance mainly represents online marketing services provided to Related Party D.
(ix)
(x)
(xi)
(xii)
24.
SEGMENT REPORTING
The Company’s operations are organized into two segments, consisting of Baidu Core and iQIYI. Within Baidu Core, the Company’s product and
services offerings are categorized as follows—Mobile Ecosystem, Baidu Cloud and Apollo Intelligent Driving & Other Growth Initiatives. iQIYI is an
innovative market-leading online entertainment service. iQIYI’s platform features iQIYI original content, as well as a comprehensive library of other
professionally produced content (PPC), professional user generated content (PUGC) and user-generated content.
The Company derives the results of the segments directly from its internal management reporting system. The CODM reviews the performance of each
segment based on its operating results and uses these results to evaluate the performance of, and to allocate resources to, each of the segments. Because
substantially all of the Group’s long-lived assets and revenues are located in and derived from the PRC, geographical segments are not presented. The
Company does not allocate assets to its segments as the CODM does not evaluate the performance of segments using asset information.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The table below provides a summary of the Group’s operating segment operating results for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit (loss)
Total other income (loss), net
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income taxes
Net income (loss)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to Baidu, Inc.
For the year ended December 31, 2019
Baidu
Core
RMB
iQIYI
RMB
Intersegment
eliminations
RMB
Consolidated
RMB
(In millions)
79,711
28,994
(1,292)
107,413
34,019
14,733
15,698
64,450
15,261
(5,680)
9,581
30,348
5,237
2,667
38,252
(9,258)
(967)
(10,225)
1,896
7,685
52
(10,277)
105
7,580
46
(10,323)
(1,517)
(60)
(19)
(1,596)
304
—
304
—
304
(4,496)
4,800
62,850
19,910
18,346
101,106
6,307
(6,647)
(340)
1,948
(2,288)
(4,345)
2,057
The table below provides a summary of the Group’s operating segment operating results for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit (loss)
Total other income (loss), net
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income taxes
Net income (loss)
Less: net (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to Baidu, Inc.
F-87
For the year ended December 31, 2020
Baidu
Core
RMB
iQIYI
RMB
Intersegment
eliminations
RMB
(In millions)
Consolidated
RMB
78,684
29,707
(1,317)
107,074
28,368
12,931
16,847
58,146
20,538
9,693
30,231
4,041
26,190
(334)
26,524
27,884
5,188
2,676
35,748
(6,041)
(943)
(6,984)
23
(7,007)
31
(7,038)
(1,094)
(56)
(10)
(1,160)
(157)
—
(157)
—
(157)
(3,143)
2,986
55,158
18,063
19,513
92,734
14,340
8,750
23,090
4,064
19,026
(3,446)
22,472
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
The table below provides a summary of the Group’s operating segment operating results for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Total revenues
Operating costs and expenses:
Cost of revenues
Selling, general and administrative
Research and development
Total operating costs and expenses
Operating profit (loss)
Total other income (loss), net
Income (loss) before income taxes
Income taxes
Net income (loss)
Less: net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income (loss) attributable to Baidu, Inc.
Baidu Core
For the year ended December 31, 2021
iQIYI
Intersegment eliminations
RMB
US$
RMB
US$
RMB
(In millions)
US$
Consolidated
RMB
US$
95,163 14,933 30,554 4,795
(1,224)
(192) 124,493 19,536
37,838 5,937 27,513 4,317
20,040 3,145 4,725 742
22,143 3,475 2,795 439
80,021 12,557 35,033 5,498
15,142 2,376 (4,479) (703)
281 (1,533) (241)
1,793
16,935 2,657 (6,012) (944)
3,090
15
13,845 2,172 (6,109) (959)
485
97
288
10
13,557 2,127 (6,170) (969)
61
45
(1,037)
(42)
—
(1,079)
(145)
—
(145)
—
(145)
(162) 64,314 10,092
(8) 24,723 3,879
— 24,938 3,914
(170) 113,975 17,885
(22) 10,518 1,651
40
(22) 10,778 1,691
3,187
500
7,591 1,191
—
(22)
—
260
(2,984)
2,839
(469)
(414)
(2,635)
447 10,226 1,605
The following table presents the Company’s revenues disaggregated by segment and by types of products or services:
Online marketing services
Cloud services (i)
Others (i)
Baidu Core Subtotal
Membership services (i)
Online advertising services (ii)
Content distribution (i)
Others (i)
iQIYI Subtotal
Intersegment eliminations
Total revenue
For the years ended
December 31,
2019
RMB
December 31,
2020
RMB
December 31,
2021
RMB
December 31,
2021
US$
70,038
6,370
3,303
79,711
14,436
8,271
2,544
3,743
28,994
(1,292)
107,413
(In millions)
66,283
9,173
3,228
78,684
16,491
6,822
2,660
3,734
29,707
(1,317)
107,074
73,919
15,070
6,174
95,163
16,714
7,067
2,856
3,917
30,554
(1,224)
124,493
11,600
2,365
968
14,933
2,623
1,109
448
615
4,795
(192)
19,536
(i) The revenues were presented as “Others” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income
(ii) The revenues were presented as “Online marketing services” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
25. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
ASC 820 establishes a three-tier fair value hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
Level 1
Level 2
– Observable inputs that reflect quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
–
Include observable inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active
markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or
can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3
– Unobservable inputs which are supported by little or no market activity.
ASC 820 describes three main approaches to measuring the fair value of assets and liabilities: (1) market approach; (2) income approach and (3) cost
approach. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated from market transactions involving identical or comparable assets
or liabilities. The income approach uses valuation techniques to convert future amounts to a single present value amount. The measurement is based on
the value indicated by current market expectations about those future amounts. The cost approach is based on the amount that would currently be
required to replace an asset.
Assets and Liabilities Measured or Disclosed at Fair Value on a recurring basis
In accordance with ASC 820, the Company measures equity investments with readily determinable fair value, investments accounted for at fair value,
available-for-sale debt investments and derivatives instruments at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair values of time deposits are determined based
on the prevailing interest rates in the market. The fair values of the Company’s held-to-maturity debt investments as disclosed are determined based on
the discounted cash flow model using the discount curve of market interest rates. The fair value of the Company’s short-term available-for-sale debt
investments are measured using the income approach, based on quoted market interest rates of a similar instrument and other significant inputs derived
from or corroborated by observable market data. The fair values of the Company’s equity investments in equity securities of publicly listed companies
are measured using quoted market prices. The fair value of derivative instruments of interest rate swaps are based on broker quotes. The fair value of
financial liability is estimated based on the quoted market price of a similar asset to the underlying assets. Investments accounted for at fair value are
equity investments in listed and unlisted companies held by consolidated investment companies. These investments in unlisted companies and long-term
available-for-sale debt investments do not have readily determinable market value, which were categorized as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The
Company uses a market approach based on the Company’s best estimate, which is determined by using information including but not limited to the
pricing of recent rounds of financing of the investees, liquidity factors and multiples of a selection of comparable companies.
The fair values of the Company’s notes payable are extracted directly from their quoted market prices. The fair values of the convertible senior notes are
based on broker quotes. The Company carries the convertible senior notes at face value less unamortized debt discount and issuance costs on its
consolidated balance sheets and presents the fair value for disclosure purposes only.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Assets and liabilities measured on a recurring basis or disclosed at fair value are summarized below:
Total fair value at
December 31, 2020
RMB
Fair value measurement or disclosure
at December 31, 2020 using
Quoted prices in
active markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
RMB
Significant other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
RMB
Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
RMB
(In millions)
Fair value disclosure
Cash equivalents:
Time deposits
Money market funds
Short-term investments:
Held-to-maturity debt investments
Convertible senior notes, current portion
Long-term investments:
Held-to-maturity debt investment
Long-term notes payable
Convertible senior notes, non-current portion
Fair value measurements on a recurring basis
Short-term investments:
Available-for-sale debt investments
Long-term investments:
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable
fair value
Investments accounted for at fair value
Available-for-sale debt investments
Total assets measured at fair value
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities:
Derivative instruments
Amounts due to related parties, current:
Financial liability
Total liabilities measured at fair value
16,133
198
124,132
4,967
9,754
52,575
12,078
2,865
12,978
2,238
2,607
20,688
40
327
367
F-90
198
16,133
124,132
4,967
9,754
52,575
12,078
2,865
12,978
12,978
2,865
2,238
2,607
4,845
40
327
367
—
Table of Contents
BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Total fair value at
December 31, 2021
US$
RMB
Fair value measurement or disclosure
at December 31, 2021 using
Quoted prices in
active markets for
identical assets
(Level 1)
RMB
(In millions)
Significant other
observable
inputs
(Level 2)
RMB
Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
RMB
Fair value disclosure
Cash equivalents:
Time deposits
Money market funds
Short-term investments:
16,262
3
2,552
—
3
Held-to-maturity debt investments
141,584
22,218
16,262
141,584
8,014
10,659
45,073
9,547
8,014
1,258
10,659
1,673
45,073
7,073
9,547
1,498
Long-term investments:
Held-to-maturity debt investment
Notes payable, current portion
Notes payable, non-current portion
Convertible senior notes, non-current portion
Fair value measurements on a recurring basis
Short-term investments:
Available-for-sale debt investments
Long-term investments:
2,557
401
2,557
Equity investments at fair value with readily determinable fair
value
16,375
2,570
16,375
Equity investments without readily determinable fair value using
NAV practical expedient(i)
Investments accounted for at fair value
Available-for-sale debt investments
Other non-current assets
Derivative instruments
Total assets measured at fair value
Amounts due to related parties, current:
Financial liability
Total liabilities measured at fair value
957
4,228
2,262
150
663
355
457
149
26,528
23
4,162
16,832
288
288
45
45
3,771
2,262
6,033
149
2,706
288
288
(i)
Investments are measured at fair value using NAV as a practical expedient. These investments have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy.
The fair value amounts presented in this table are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchy to the amounts presented in the
consolidated balance sheet.
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Reconciliations of assets categorized within Level 3 under the fair value hierarchy are as follow:
Investments accounted for at fair value:
Balance at December 31, 2019
Additions
Disposals
Net unrealized fair value increase recognized in earnings
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Balance at December 31, 2020
Additions
Disposals
Net unrealized fair value increase recognized in earnings
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Transition to assets categorized within level 1(i)
Balance at December 31, 2021
Balance at December 31, 2021, in US$
Amounts
RMB
(In millions)
1,819
371
(63)
151
(40)
2,238
475
(59)
1,187
(20)
(50)
3,771
592
(i)
The fair value hierarchy of certain equity investments were transferred from level 3 to level 1 due to the public listing of the investees during the
year ended December 31, 2021
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
Available-for-sale debt investments:
Balance at December 31, 2019
Additions
Disposals
Reclassification
Conversion to equity investment
Share of losses in excess of equity method investment in ordinary shares
Net unrealized fair value increase recognized in other comprehensive income
Accrued interest
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Balance at December 31, 2020
Additions
Conversion to equity investment
Share of losses in excess of equity method investment in ordinary shares
Net unrealized fair value change recognized in other comprehensive income
Accrued interest
Foreign currency translation adjustments
Balance at December 31, 2021
Balance at December 31, 2021, in US$
Amounts
RMB
(In millions)
3,970
5
(500)
412
(1,355)
(82)
153
68
(64)
2,607
67
(18)
(207)
(243)
75
(19)
2,262
355
Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis
The Company measures certain non-financial assets on a nonrecurring basis.
For equity securities accounted for under the measurement alternative, when there are observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or
similar investments of the same issuer, the investments are re-measured to fair value (Note 4). The non-recurring fair value measurements to the carrying
amount of an investment usually requires management to estimate a price adjustment for the different rights and obligations between a similar
instrument of the same issuer with an observable price change in an orderly transaction and the investment held by the Company. These non-recurring
fair value measurements were measured as of the observable transaction dates. The valuation methodologies involved require management to use the
observable transaction price at the transaction date and other unobservable inputs (level 3) such as expected volatility and probability of exit events as it
relates to liquidation and redemption preferences. When there is impairment of equity securities accounted for under the measurement alternative and
equity method investments, the non-recurring fair value measurements are measured at the date of impairment. The fair values of the Company’s equity
method investments in publicly listed companies are measured using quoted market prices. Estimating the fair value of investees without observable
market prices is highly judgmental due to the subjectivity of the unobservable inputs (level 3) used in the valuation methodologies used to determine fair
value. The Company uses valuation methodologies, primarily the market approach, which requires management to use unobservable inputs (level 3)
such as selection of comparable companies and multiples, expected volatility, discount for lack of marketability and probability of exit events as it
relates to liquidation and redemption preferences, when applicable. These unobservable inputs
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
and resulting fair value estimates may be affected by unexpected changes in future market or economic conditions. The fair value information presented
is not as of the period’s end, and is sensitive to changes in the unobservable inputs used to determine fair value and such changes could result in the fair
value at the reporting date to be different from the fair value presented.
Other non-financial assets, intangible assets, licensed copyrights and produced content, would be measured at fair value whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. The fair values of non-financial long-lived assets were measured under
income approach, based on the Company’s best estimation. Significant inputs used in the income approach primarily included future estimated cash
flows and discount rate.
The following table summarizes the Company’s financial assets held as of December 31, 2020 and 2021 for which a non-recurring fair value
measurement was recorded during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021:
Quoted Prices
in Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
RMB
Significant
Other
Observable
inputs
(Level 2)
RMB
Significant
unobservable
inputs
(Level 3)
RMB
(In millions)
Total Balance
RMB
US$
Fair value
adjustment
RMB US$
Impairment
RMB
US$
Fair value measurements on a non-recurring basis
As of December 31, 2020
Long-term investments(i)
Intangible assets(i)
Mainland China film group—Licensed copyrights as of
March 31, 2020 (ii)
Mainland China film group—Produced contents as of
March 31, 2020(ii)
Produced content monetized on its own(iii)
14,205
62
7,186
4,124
40
As of December 31, 2021
Long-term investments(i)
Produced content monetized on its own(iii)
9,653
30
1,515
5
367
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
145
—
13,838
62
3,725
(1,862)
(350)
7,186
4,124
40
9,508
30
(390)
(210)
(205)
896
141
(4,316)
(161)
(677)
(25)
(i)
Due to factors such as the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) resulting in declined financial performances and changes in business
circumstances of certain investees, the Company recognized impairment charges of long-term investments in the consolidated statement of
comprehensive (loss) income during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021. For equity securities accounted for under the measurement
alternative, when there are observable price changes in orderly transactions for identical or similar investments of the same issuer, the investments
are re-measured to fair value. The Company recognized impairment loss on intangible assets as of March 31, 2020. The impairment loss on
intangible assets in 2021 was immaterial.
(ii) The outbreak of COVID-19 during the first quarter of 2020 also has resulted in a downward adjustment to forecasted advertising revenues for the
Mainland China film group. As a result, the Company performed an assessment to determine whether the fair value of the Mainland China film
group was less than its unamortized film costs as of March 31, 2020 with the assistance of a third-party valuation firm. The Company uses a
discounted cash flow approach to estimate the fair value. The Company estimated the most likely future cash flows based on historical results,
economic useful lives or license periods and perception of future performance. The Company has incorporated those cash outflows necessary to
generate the cash
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BAIDU, INC.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2019, 2020 AND 2021
inflows, including future production, operation, exploitation and administrative costs, which were estimated at 32%-37% of revenue in aggregate.
The discount rate was determined to be the weighted average cost of capital of the Mainland China film group at 15%. As of March 31, 2020, the
fair value of the Mainland China film group was less than its corresponding carrying value and resulted in the Company recognizing an
impairment charge of RMB390 million related to licensed copyrights and RMB210 million related to produced content, respectively. The
impairment charge was recognized as cost of revenues in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the year ended December 31,
2020.
In addition, due to adverse changes in the expected performance of certain produced content and the reduced amount of ultimate revenue expected
to be recognized, an impairment charge of RMB205 million and RMB161 million (US$25 million) was recognized for produced content
predominantly monetized on its own and was recognized as cost of revenues in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income for the years
ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. The fair value information presented is not as of the period’s end, and is sensitive to changes in
the unobservable inputs used to determine fair value and such changes could result in the fair value at the reporting date to be different from the
fair value presented.
(iii)
26.
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company, Jidu and Geely entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Series A Purchase Agreement”) on January 20, 2022, pursuant to which
the Company acquired 67,867,337 Series A preferred shares of Jidu at US$200 million. Jidu issued a warrant to Geely that Geely shall have the right to
purchase 55,527,698 Series A preferred shares at US$164 million. The Series A preferred shares is considered in-substance common stock that has risk
and reward characteristics that are substantially similar to Jidu’s common stock. After the transaction closed in January 2022, the Company holds an
equity interest of 53.2%. However, considering the substantive participating rights held by Geely, the Company continuely accounts for its investment as
an equity method investment in accordance with ASC 323 (Note 4).
In March 2022, iQIYI entered into subscription agreements with the Company and a consortium of financial investors, who have agreed to subscribe for
and purchase from iQIYI, through a private placement, a total of 164,705,882 newly issued Class B ordinary shares and 304,705,880 newly issued Class
A ordinary shares of iQIYI, for a total purchase price of US$285 million (equivalent to RMB1,816 million) in cash.
Subsequent to December 31, 2021, the potential worsening global economic conditions and the recent disruptions to, and volatility in, the global
financial markets resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and tensive geopolitical conflicts may have an adverse effect on the fair value of the
Group’s long-term investments, which may lead to a significant downward adjustments or impairment in the Group’s long-term investments.
F-95
Exhibit 2.26
TENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
Dated as of
August 23, 2021
Between
BAIDU, INC.
as Company
and
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
as Trustee
1.625% NOTES DUE 2027
2.375% NOTES DUE 2031
TENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE dated as of August 23, 2021 between Baidu, Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the
Cayman Islands (the “Company”), and The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State
of New York with limited liability, as trustee (the “Trustee”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS, the Company and the Trustee executed and delivered an Indenture dated as of November 28, 2012 (the “Base Indenture”) to provide
for the issuance of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness in an unlimited aggregate principal amount to be issued from time to
time in one or more series (such Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Tenth Supplemental Indenture and all indentures supplemental
thereto with respect to the Notes (as defined below) herein referred to as the “Indenture”);
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the issuance of US$300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 1.625% Notes due 2027 (the “2027
Notes”), and US$700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.375% Notes due 2031 (the “2027 Notes” and, together with the 2031 Notes, the
“Notes”);
WHEREAS, the Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Tenth Supplemental Indenture pursuant to Section 14.01 of the
Base Indenture to establish the terms and the form of the Notes in accordance with Sections 2.01, 3.01 and 3.03 of the Base Indenture;
WHEREAS, all things necessary to make this Tenth Supplemental Indenture a valid and legally binding agreement of the Company, in accordance
with its terms, have been done.
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS TENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE WITNESSETH:
That, in consideration of the premises and the purchase of the Notes by the Holders thereof for the equal and proportionate benefit of all of the
present and future Holders of the Notes, each party agrees and covenants as follows:
ARTICLE I
SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01 Scope. The changes, modifications and supplements to the Base Indenture effected by this Tenth Supplemental Indenture shall be
applicable only with respect to, and govern the terms of, the Notes and shall not apply to any other series of Securities that may be issued under the Base
Indenture unless a supplemental indenture with respect to such other series of Securities specifically incorporates such changes, modifications and
supplements.
Section 1.02 Definitions.
(a) Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Base Indenture.
(b) As used herein, the following additional defined terms shall have the following meanings with respect to the Notes only and be equally
applicable to both the singular and the plural forms of any of the terms herein defined:
“2027 Notes” has the meaning provided in the recitals.
“2031 Notes” has the meaning provided in the recitals.
“Additional 2027 Notes” has the meaning provided in Section 2.01(c).
“Additional 2031 Notes” has the meaning provided in Section 2.02(c).
“Base Indenture” has the meaning provided in the recitals hereof.
“BNY Mellon Group” has the meaning provided in Section 3.07.
“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker that would be
utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable
maturity to the remaining term of the 2027 Notes or the 2031 Notes, as the case may be, to be redeemed.
“Comparable Treasury Price” means, with respect to any Redemption Date pursuant to Section 2.02, (1) the average of the Reference
Treasury Dealer Quotations for such Redemption Date, after excluding the highest and lowest of such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, or (2) if
the Company obtains fewer than three such Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations, the average of all quotations obtained.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York.
“Tenth Supplemental Indenture” means this instrument.
“Group” means the Company and its Controlled Entities.
“Independent Financial Advisor” means an accounting, appraisal, investment banking firm or consultant of nationally recognized standing
that is reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
“Independent Investment Banker” means one of the Reference Treasury Dealers appointed by the Company.
“Initial 2027 Notes” has the meaning provided in Section 2.01(c).
“Initial 2031 Notes” has the meaning provided in Section 2.01(c).
“Lien” means any mortgage, charge, pledge, lien or other form of encumbrance or security interest.
2
“Make Whole Amount” means an amount determined on the fifth Business Day before the Redemption Date pursuant to Section 2.03 that
is equal to the sum of (i) the present value of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, assuming a scheduled repayment thereof on the date of
Stated Maturity for payment of principal on such Notes plus (ii) the present value of the remaining scheduled payments of interest to and including such
date of Stated Maturity for payment of principal on such Notes discounted to such Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year
consisting of twelve 30-day months and, in the case of an incomplete month, the actual number of days elapsed) at the Treasury Yield plus 15 basis
points in the case of the 2027 Notes and 20 basis points in the case of the 2031 Notes.
“Non-listed Controlled Entities” means the Controlled Entities other than (i) any Controlled Entities with shares of common stock or other
common equity interests listed on an internationally recognized stock exchange; and (ii) any Subsidiaries or Consolidated Affiliated Entities of any
Controlled Entity referred to in clause (i) of this definition.
“Non-recourse Obligation” means indebtedness or other obligations substantially related to (1) the acquisition of assets not previously
owned by the Company or any of its Controlled Entities or (2) the financing of a project involving the purchase, development, improvement or
expansion of properties of the Company or any of its Controlled Entities, as to which the obligee with respect to such indebtedness or obligation has no
recourse to the Company or any of its Controlled Entities or to the Company’s or any such Controlled Entity’s assets other than the assets which were
acquired with the proceeds of such transaction or the project financed with the proceeds of such transaction (and the proceeds thereof).
“Notes” has the meaning provided in the recitals hereof and Section 2.01(c).
“PRC Business Day” means a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the PRC are authorized or
obligated by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed.
“Prospectus Supplement” means the preliminary prospectus supplement, dated August 16, 2021, or the prospectus supplement, dated
August 18, 2021, relating to the offering of the Notes.
“Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of any three investment banks of recognized standing that is a primary U.S. government
securities dealer in the United States, selected by the Company in good faith.
“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date pursuant to
Section 2.03, the average, as determined by the Company, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a
percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Company by such Reference Treasury Dealer as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the
fifth Business Day before such Redemption Date.
“Relevant Indebtedness” means any indebtedness which is in the form of, or represented or evidenced by, bonds, notes, debentures, loan
stock or other securities which for the time being are, or are intended to be or are commonly, quoted, listed or dealt in or traded on any stock exchange
or over-the-counter or other securities market.
3
“Treasury Yield” means, with respect to any Redemption Date pursuant to Section 2.03, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual
equivalent yield to maturity (computed as of the fifth Business Day before such Redemption Date) of the Comparable Treasury Issue, calculated using a
price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such
Redemption Date.
“Triggering Event” means (A) any change in or amendment to the laws, regulations and rules of the PRC or the official interpretation or
official application thereof (“Change in Law”) that results in (1) the Group (as in existence immediately subsequent to such Change in Law), as a whole,
being legally prohibited from operating substantially all of the business operations conducted by the Group (as in existence immediately prior to such
Change in Law) as of the last date of the period described in the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the most recent fiscal quarter and
(2) the Company being unable to continue to derive substantially all of the economic benefits from the business operations conducted by the Group (as
in existence immediately prior to such Change in Law) in the same manner as reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the
most recent fiscal quarter and (B) the Company has not furnished to the Trustee, prior to the date that is twelve months after the date of the Change in
Law, an opinion from an Independent Financial Advisor or an Independent Legal Counsel stating either (1) the Company is able to continue to derive
substantially all of the economic benefits from the business operations conducted by the Group (as in existence immediately prior to such Change in
Law), taken as a whole, as reflected in the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the most recent fiscal quarter (including after giving
effect to any corporate restructuring or reorganization plan of the Company) or (2) such Change in Law would not materially adversely affect the
Company’s ability to make principal and interest payments on the Notes when due.
“Triggering Event Offer” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
“Triggering Event Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
“Triggering Event Payment Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.05(a).
Section 1.03 Rules of Construction. For all purposes of this Tenth Supplemental Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the
context otherwise requires:
(a) The words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Tenth Supplemental Indenture as a whole
and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
(b) References to “Article” or “Section” or other subdivision herein are references to an Article, Section or other subdivision of this Tenth
Supplemental Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires.
(c) References to any agreement, instrument, statute or regulation defined or referred to herein or in any instrument establishing the terms
of the Notes (or executed in connection therewith) are references to such agreement, instrument, statute or regulation as from time to time amended,
modified, supplemented or replaced, including (in the case of agreements or instruments) by waiver or consent and by succession of comparable
successor agreements, instruments, statutes or regulations.
4
ARTICLE II
THE NOTES
Section 2.01 Terms of the 2027 Notes. The 2027 Notes are hereby created and designated as a separate series of Securities under the Base
Indenture. The following terms relate to the 2027 Notes:
(a) The 2027 Notes shall constitute a separate series of Securities under the Base Indenture having the title “1.625% Notes due 2027.”
(b) The 2027 Notes shall be issued at a price of 99.953% of the principal amount thereof, other than any offering discounts pursuant to the
initial offering and resale of the 2027 Notes.
(c) The aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Notes (the “Initial 2027 Notes”) that may be initially authenticated and delivered under the
Indenture shall be US$300,000,000. The Company may from time to time, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, issue additional Notes (in
any such case “Additional 2027 Notes”) having the same terms and conditions as the Initial 2027 Notes in all respects (or in all respects except for the
Issue Date, the issue price or the first Interest Payment Date). Any Additional 2027 Notes and the Initial 2027 Notes shall constitute a single series under
the Indenture, provided that if such Additional 2027 Notes are not fungible with the Initial 2027 Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such
Additional 2027 Notes shall not have the same CUSIP, ISIN or other identifying number as the Initial 2027 Notes. All references to the “2027 Notes”
shall include the Initial 2027 Notes and any Additional 2027 Notes unless the context otherwise requires. The aggregate principal amount of each of the
Additional 2027 Notes shall be unlimited.
(d) The entire outstanding principal of the 2027 Notes shall be payable on February 23, 2027.
(e) The rate at which the 2027 Notes shall bear interest shall be 1.625% per year. The date from which interest shall accrue on the 2027
Notes shall be August 23, 2021, or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for. The Interest Payment Dates
for the 2027 Notes shall be February 23 and August 23 of each year, beginning February 23, 2022. Interest shall be payable on each Interest Payment
Date to the Holders of record at the close of business on the February 8 and August 8 prior to each Interest Payment Date. The basis upon which interest
shall be calculated shall be that of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
(f) The 2027 Notes shall be issuable in whole in the form of one or more registered Global Securities, and the Depositary for such Global
Securities shall be DTC. The 2027 Notes shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, the terms of which are herein incorporated by
reference. The 2027 Notes shall be denominated in U.S. Dollars and shall be issuable in minimum denominations of US$200,000 or any integral
multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof.
5
(g) The 2027 Notes may be redeemed at the option of the Company prior to the date of Stated Maturity for payment of principal on the
Notes, as provided in Section 2.03.
(h) The 2027 Notes will not have the benefit of any sinking fund.
(i) Except as provided herein, the Holders of the 2027 Notes shall have no special rights in addition to those provided in the Base
Indenture upon the occurrence of any particular events.
(j) The 2027 Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank at least equal in right of payment to all of the
Company’s other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations (subject to any priority rights pursuant to applicable law).
(k) The restrictive covenants set forth in Sections 2.04 and 2.05 shall be applicable to the 2027 Notes.
Section 2.02 Terms of the 2031 Notes. The 2031 Notes are hereby created and designated as a separate series of Securities under the Base
Indenture. The following terms relate to the 2031 Notes:
(a) The 2031 Notes shall constitute a separate series of Securities under the Base Indenture having the title 2.375% Notes due 2031.”
(b) The 2031 Notes shall be issued at a price of 99.523% of the principal amount thereof, other than any offering discounts pursuant to the
initial offering and resale of the 2031 Notes.
(c) The aggregate principal amount of the 2031 Notes (the “Initial 2031 Notes”) that may be initially authenticated and delivered under the
Indenture shall be US$700,000,000. The Company may from time to time, without the consent of the Holders of the Notes, issue additional Notes (in
any such case “Additional 2031 Notes”) having the same terms and conditions as the Initial 2031 Notes in all respects (or in all respects except for the
Issue Date, the issue price or the first Interest Payment Date). Any Additional 2031 Notes and the Initial 2031 Notes shall constitute a single series under
the Indenture, provided that if such Additional 2031 Notes are not fungible with the Initial 2031 Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such
Additional 2031 Notes shall not have the same CUSIP, ISIN or other identifying number as the Initial 2031 Notes. All references to the “2031 Notes”
shall include the Initial 2031 Notes and any Additional 2031 Notes unless the context otherwise requires. The aggregate principal amount of each of the
Additional 2031 Notes shall be unlimited.
(d) The entire outstanding principal of the 2031 Notes shall be payable on August 23, 2031.
6
(e) The rate at which the 2031 Notes shall bear interest shall be 2.375% per year. The date from which interest shall accrue on the 2031
Notes shall be August 23, 2021, or the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or provided for. The Interest Payment Dates
for the 2031 Notes shall be February 23 and August 23 of each year, beginning February 23, 2022. Interest shall be payable on each Interest Payment
Date to the Holders of record at the close of business on the February 8 and August 8 prior to each Interest Payment Date. The basis upon which interest
shall be calculated shall be that of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months.
(f) The 2031 Notes shall be issuable in whole in the form of one or more registered Global Securities, and the Depositary for such Global
Securities shall be DTC. The 2031 Notes shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, the terms of which are herein incorporated by
reference. The 2031 Notes shall be denominated in U.S. Dollars and shall be issuable in minimum denominations of US$200,000 or any integral
multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof.
(g) The 2031 Notes may be redeemed at the option of the Company prior to the date of Stated Maturity for payment of principal on the
2031 Notes, as provided in Section 2.03.
(h) The 2031 Notes will not have the benefit of any sinking fund.
(i) Except as provided herein, the Holders of the 2031 Notes shall have no special rights in addition to those provided in the Base
Indenture upon the occurrence of any particular events.
(j) The 2031 Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Company and will rank at least equal in right of payment to all of the
Company’s other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated obligations (subject to any priority rights pursuant to applicable law).
(k) The restrictive covenants set forth in Sections 2.04 and 2.05 shall be applicable to the 2031 Notes.
Section 2.03 Optional Redemption.
(a) The provisions of Article IV of the Base Indenture, as amended by the provisions of this Tenth Supplemental Indenture, shall apply to
the Notes.
(b) The Company may, upon giving not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice to (i) the Trustee and (ii) Holders of the 2027 Notes or
the 2031 Notes (which notice shall be irrevocable), as the case may be, redeem the 2027 Notes at any time prior to January 23, 2027, and the 2031 Notes
at any time prior to May 23, 2031, in each case, in whole or in part, at a redemption amount equal to the greater of (x) 100% of the principal amount of
such Notes to be redeemed and (y) the Make Whole Amount, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the
Redemption Date (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date);
provided that the principal amount of a Note remaining outstanding after redemption in part shall be US$200,000 or an integral multiple of US$1,000 in
excess thereof.
7
(c) In addition, the Company may, upon giving not less than 30 nor more than 60 days’ notice to (i) the Trustee and (ii) Holders of the
2027 Notes or the 2031 Notes (which notice shall be irrevocable), as the case may be, redeem the 2027 Notes at any time from or after January 23, 2027,
and the 2031 Notes at any time from or after May 23, 2031, in each case, in whole or in part, at a redemption amount equal to 100% of the principal
amount of the applicable Notes to be redeemed.
(d) If the Redemption Date pursuant to this Section 2.03 is on or after the relevant Record Date and on or before the related Interest
Payment Date, any accrued and unpaid interest to the Redemption Date pursuant to this Section 2.03 shall be paid on such Interest Payment Date to the
Person in whose name a Note is registered at the close of business on such Record Date.
(e) The Company or any of its Controlled Entities may, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, at any time purchase the
Notes in the open market or otherwise at any price, so long as such purchase does not otherwise violate the terms of the Indenture. The Notes that the
Company or its Affiliates purchase may, in the discretion of the Company, be held, resold or canceled, but will only be resold in compliance with
applicable requirements or exemptions under the relevant securities laws.
Section 2.04 Limitation on Liens. The following additional covenant shall apply with respect to the 2027 Notes and the 2031 Notes so long as any
of the 2027 Notes or the 2031 Notes, as the case may be, remain outstanding:
(a) Subject to the exceptions set forth in Section 2.04(b) below, the Company will not create or have outstanding, and the Company will
ensure that none of its Principal Controlled Entities will create or have outstanding, any Lien upon the whole or any part of their respective present or
future undertaking, assets or revenues (including any uncalled capital) securing any Relevant Indebtedness, or create or have outstanding any guarantee
or indemnity in respect of any Relevant Indebtedness either of the Company or of any of its Principal Controlled Entities, without (x) at the same time or
prior thereto securing or guaranteeing the 2027 Notes or the 2031 Notes, as the case may be, equally and ratably therewith or (y) providing such other
security or guarantee for the 2027 Notes or the 2031 Notes, as the case may be, as shall be approved by an act of the Holders of such series of Notes
holding at least a majority of the principal amount of such series of Notes then Outstanding.
(b) The restriction set forth in Section 2.04(a) above will not apply to:
(i) any Lien arising or already arisen automatically by operation of law which is timely discharged or disputed in good faith by
appropriate proceedings;
(ii) any Lien in respect of the obligations of any Person which becomes a Principal Controlled Entity or which merges with or into
the Company or a Principal Controlled Entity after the date hereof which is in existence at the date on which it becomes a Principal Controlled
Entity or merges with or into the Company or a Principal Controlled Entity; provided that any such Lien was not incurred in anticipation of such
acquisition or of such Person becoming a Principal Controlled Entity or being merged with or into the Company or a Principal Controlled Entity;
8
(iii) any Lien created or outstanding in favor of the Company;
(iv) any Lien in respect of Relevant Indebtedness of the Company or any Principal Controlled Entity with respect to which the
Company or such Principal Controlled Entity has paid money or deposited money or securities with a fiscal agent, trustee or depositary to pay or
discharge in full the obligations of the Company or such Principal Controlled Entity in respect thereof (other than the obligation that such money
or securities so paid or deposited, and the proceeds therefrom, be sufficient to pay or discharge such obligations in full);
(v) any Lien created in connection with Relevant Indebtedness of the Company or any Principal Controlled Entity denominated in
Chinese Renminbi and initially offered, marketed or issued primarily to Persons resident in the PRC;
(vi) any Lien created in connection with a project financed with, or created to secure, Non-recourse Obligations; or
(vii) any Lien arising out of the refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding of any Relevant Indebtedness secured by any Lien
permitted by the foregoing clause (ii), (v), (vi) or (vii) of this Section 2.04(b); provided that such Relevant Indebtedness is not increased beyond
the principal amount thereof (together with the costs of such refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding) and is not secured by any additional
property or assets.
Section 2.05 Repurchase Upon Triggering Event. The following additional covenant shall apply with respect to the Notes so long as any of the
Notes remain outstanding:
(a) If a Triggering Event occurs, unless the Company has exercised its right to redeem all of the Notes pursuant to Section 2.03 hereof or
Section 4.07 of the Base Indenture, the Company shall make an offer to repurchase all or, at the Holder’s option, any part (equal to US$200,000 or
multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof) of each Holder’s Notes pursuant to the offer described below (the “Triggering Event Offer”), at a purchase
price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes repurchased plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes
repurchased to, but not including, the date of purchase (the “Triggering Event Payment”) (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant
Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant Interest Payment Date). Within 30 days following a Triggering Event, unless the Company has
exercised its right to redeem all of the Notes pursuant to Section 2.03 hereof or Section 4.07 of the Base Indenture, the Company will mail a notice of
such Triggering Event Offer to each Holder or otherwise give notice in accordance with the applicable procedures of DTC, with a copy to the Trustee,
stating:
9
(i) that a Triggering Event Offer is being made pursuant to this Section 2.05, including a description of the transaction or transactions
that constitute the Triggering Event, and that all Notes properly tendered pursuant to such Triggering Event Offer will be accepted for purchase by
the Company at a purchase price in cash equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount of such Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any,
on such Notes to the date of purchase (subject to the right of Holders of record on the relevant Record Date to receive interest due on the relevant
Interest Payment Date);
(ii) the purchase date (which shall be no earlier than 30 days and no later than 60 days from the date such notice is mailed) (the
“Triggering Event Payment Date”);
(iii) that Notes must be tendered in amounts of US$200,000 or multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof, and any Note not properly
tendered will remain outstanding and continue to accrue interest;
(iv) that, unless the Company defaults in the payment of the Triggering Event Payment, any Note accepted for payment pursuant to
the Triggering Event Offer will cease to accrue interest on and after the Triggering Event Payment Date;
(v) that Holders electing to have any Notes purchased pursuant to a Triggering Event Offer will be required to surrender such Notes,
with the form entitled “Option of Holder to Elect Purchase” on the reverse of such Notes completed, to the Paying Agent specified in the notice at
the address specified in the notice prior to the close of business on the third Business Day preceding the Triggering Event Payment Date;
(vi) that Holders shall be entitled to withdraw their tendered Notes and their election to require the Company to purchase such Notes;
provided that the Paying Agent receives at the address specified in the notice, not later than the close of business on the 30th day following the
date of the Triggering Event notice, a telegram, facsimile transmission or letter setting forth the name of the Holder of the Notes, the principal
amount of Notes tendered for purchase, and a statement that such Holder is withdrawing its tendered Notes and its election to have such Notes
purchased;
(vii) that if a Holder is tendering less than all of its Notes, such Holder will be issued new Notes equal in principal amount to the
unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered (the unpurchased portion of the Notes must be equal to US$200,000 or an integral multiple of
US$1,000 in excess thereof); and
(viii) the other instructions, as determined by the Company consistent with this Section 2.05, that a Holder must follow.
The notice, if sent in a manner herein provided, shall be conclusively presumed to have been given, whether or not the Holder receives
such notice. If (A) the notice is sent in a manner herein provided and (B) any Holder fails to receive such notice or a Holder receives such notice but it is
defective, such Holder’s failure to receive such notice or such defect shall not affect the validity of the proceedings for the purchase of the Notes as to all
other Holders that properly received such notice without defect.
10
(b) On the Triggering Event Payment Date, the Company will, to the extent lawful:
(i) accept for payment all Notes or portions of Notes (of US$200,000 or integral multiples of US$1,000 in excess thereof) properly
tendered pursuant to the Triggering Event Offer;
(ii) deposit with the Paying Agent, one Business Day prior to the Triggering Event Payment Date, an amount equal to the Triggering
Event Payment in respect of all Notes or portions of Notes properly tendered; and
(iii) deliver or cause to be delivered to the Registrar for cancellation the Notes properly accepted together with an Officers’
Certificate stating the aggregate principal amount of Notes or portions of Notes being purchased by the Company in accordance with the terms of
this Section 2.05.
(c) The Paying Agent shall promptly mail, to each Holder who properly tendered Notes, the purchase price for such Notes properly
tendered, and the Trustee shall promptly authenticate and mail (or cause to be transferred by book-entry) to each such Holder a new Note equal in
principal amount to any unpurchased portion of the Notes surrendered, if any; provided that each new Note will be in a principal amount of US$200,000
or a multiple of US$1,000 in excess thereof.
(d) If the Triggering Event Payment Date is on or after the relevant Record Date and on or before the related Interest Payment Date, any
accrued and unpaid interest to the Triggering Event Payment Date shall be paid on such Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name a Note is
registered at the close of business on such Record Date.
(e) The Company will not be required to make a Triggering Event Offer upon a Triggering Event if a third party makes such an offer in the
manner, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements for an offer made by the Company and such third party purchases all Notes
properly tendered and not withdrawn under its offer. In the event that such third party terminates or defaults its offer, the Company will be required to
make a Triggering Event Offer treating the date of such termination or default as though it were the date of the Triggering Event.
(f) The Company shall comply with the requirements of Rule 14e-1 under the Exchange Act, to the extent applicable, and any other
securities laws and regulations thereunder to the extent those laws and regulations are applicable in connection with the repurchase of the Notes as a
result of a Triggering Event. To the extent that the provision of any such securities laws or regulations conflicts with the Triggering Event Offer
provisions of the Notes, the Company will comply with those securities laws and regulations and will not be deemed to have breached its obligations
under the Triggering Event Offer provisions of the Notes by virtue of any such conflict.
11
(g) The trustee shall not be required to take any steps to ascertain whether a Triggering Event or any event which could lead to a
Triggering Event has occurred and shall not be responsible or liable to any person for any failure to do so.
Section 2.06 NDRC Post-issue Filing. The Company will notify the Trustee if it does not file or cause to be filed with the NDRC the requisite
information and documents required to be filed with the NDRC within 10 PRC Business Days after the completion of the Notes issuance in accordance
with the Circular on Promoting the Reform of the Administrative System on the Issuance by Enterprises of Foreign Debt Filings and Registrations (国家
发展改革委关于推进企业发行外债备案登记制管理改革的通知(发改外资[2015]2044号)) issued by the NDRC and which came into effect on
September 14, 2015 and any implementation rules as issued by the NDRC as in effect at such time (the “Post-Issuance Filing”). Such notification to the
Trustee shall be made within 10 PRC Business Days after such failure to complete the Post-Issuance Filing.
Section 2.07 Covenant Defeasance. Upon the Company’s exercise under Section 12.03(a) of the Base Indenture of the option applicable to
Section 12.03(c) thereof, the Company shall, subject to the satisfaction of the conditions set forth in Section 12.03(d) thereof, be released from its
obligations under the covenants contained in Section 6.04 and Section 6.06 thereof and from its obligations under the covenants contained in
Section 2.04 and Section 2.05 of this Tenth Supplemental Indenture, on and after the date the conditions set forth in Section 12.03(d) thereof are
satisfied.
Section 2.08 Supplemental Indentures.
(a) Definition of “Principal Controlled Entity” under Section 1.01 of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following
with respect to the Notes only:
““Principal Controlled Entities” at any time shall mean one of the Non-listed Controlled Entities of the Company:
(i) as to which one or more of the following conditions is/are satisfied:
(A) its total revenue or (in the case of one of the Non-listed Controlled Entities of the Company which has one or more Non-listed
Controlled Entities) consolidated total revenue attributable to the Company is at least 10% of the consolidated total revenue of the
Company;
(B) its net profit or (in the case of one of the Non-listed Controlled Entities of the Company which has one or more Non-listed
Controlled Entities) consolidated net profit attributable to the Company (in each case before taxation and exceptional items) is at least 10%
of the consolidated net profit of the Company (before taxation and exceptional items); or
(C) its net assets or (in the case of one of the Non-listed Controlled Entities of the Company which has one or more Non-listed
Controlled Entities) consolidated net assets attributable to the Company (in each case after deducting minority interests in Subsidiaries) are
at least 10% of the consolidated net assets of the Company (after deducting minority interests in Subsidiaries);
12
all as calculated by reference to the then latest audited financial statements (consolidated or, as the case may be, unconsolidated) of the
Non-listed Controlled Entity of the Company and the then latest audited consolidated financial statements of the Company; provided that, in
relation to clauses (A), (B) and (C) above:
(1) in the case of a corporation or other business entity becoming a Non-listed Controlled Entity after the end of the financial period
to which the latest consolidated audited accounts of the Company relate, the reference to the then latest consolidated audited accounts of
the Company and its Non-listed Controlled Entities for the purposes of the calculation above shall, until the consolidated audited accounts
of the Company for the financial period in which the relevant corporation or other business entity becomes a Non-listed Controlled Entity
are issued, be deemed to be a reference to the then latest consolidated audited accounts of the Company and its Non-listed Controlled
Entities adjusted to consolidate the latest audited accounts (consolidated in the case of a Non-listed Controlled Entity which itself has
Controlled Entities) of such Non-listed Controlled Entity in such accounts;
(2) if at any relevant time in relation to the Company or any Non-listed Controlled Entity which itself has Non-listed Controlled
Entities, no consolidated accounts are prepared and audited, total revenue, net profit or net assets of the Company and/or any such
Non-listed Controlled Entity shall be determined on the basis of pro forma consolidated accounts prepared for this purpose by or on behalf
of the Company;
(3) if at any relevant time in relation to any Non-listed Controlled Entity, no accounts are audited, its net assets (consolidated, if
appropriate) shall be determined on the basis of pro forma accounts (consolidated, if appropriate) of the relevant Non-listed Controlled
Entity prepared for this purpose by or on behalf of the Company; and
(4) if the accounts of any Non-listed Controlled Entity (not being a Non-listed Controlled Entity referred to in proviso (1) above) are
not consolidated with the accounts of the Company, then the determination of whether or not such Non-listed Controlled Entity is a
Principal Controlled Entity shall be based on a pro forma consolidation of its accounts (consolidated, if appropriate) with the consolidated
accounts of the Company (determined on the basis of the foregoing); or
(ii) to which is transferred all or substantially all of the assets of a Controlled Entity which immediately prior to the transfer was a Principal
Controlled Entity; provided that, with effect from such transfer, the Controlled Entity which so transfers its assets and undertakings shall cease to
be a Principal Controlled Entity (but without prejudice to paragraph (i) above) and the Controlled Entity to which the assets are so transferred
shall become a Principal Controlled Entity.
13
An Officers’ Certificate delivered to the Trustee certifying in good faith as to whether or not a Non-listed Controlled Entity is a Principal
Controlled Entity shall be conclusive in the absence of manifest error.”
(b) Section 4.02(a) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“If the Company shall at any time elect to redeem all or any portion of the Securities of a series then Outstanding, it shall at least 15
calendar days (or such shorter period acceptable to the Trustee) prior to the date the notice of redemption is to be mailed, notify the Trustee
of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of Securities to be redeemed, and the Notes to be redeemed will be selected (i) if
listed on a national securities exchange or held through the clearing systems then in compliance with the requirements of such national
securities exchange or the clearing system, and (ii) if the Notes are not listed on any securities exchange and are not held through the
clearing systems then pro rata, by lot or in such other manner as the trustee deems appropriate in its sole discretion, unless otherwise
required by law and which may provide for the selection for redemption of a portion of the principal amount of any Security of such series;
provided that the unredeemed portion of the principal amount of any Security shall be in an authorized denomination (which shall not be
less than the minimum authorized denomination) for such Security. In any case where more than one Security of such series is registered
in the same name, the Trustee may treat the aggregate principal amount so registered as if it were represented by one Security of such
series. If the Notes are in definitive form, the Trustee shall, as soon as practicable, notify the Company in writing of the Securities and
portions of Securities so selected.”
(c) Section 6.05(a) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
14
“All payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest made by the Company in respect of any Security shall be made without
withholding or deduction for, or on account of, any present or future taxes, duties, assessments or governmental charges of whatever nature
(collectively, “Taxes”) imposed or levied by or within the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the PRC or any jurisdiction where
the Company is otherwise considered by a taxing authority to be a resident for tax purposes (in each case, including any political
subdivision or any authority therein or thereof having power to tax) (the “Relevant Jurisdiction”), unless such withholding or deduction of
such Taxes is required by law. If the Company is required to make such withholding or deduction, the Company shall pay such additional
amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as will result in receipt by each Holder of Securities of such amounts as would have been received by
such Holder had no such withholding or deduction of such Taxes been required, except that no such Additional Amounts shall be payable:
(i) in respect of any such Taxes that would not have been imposed, deducted or withheld but for the existence of any connection
(whether present or former) between the Holder or beneficial owner of a Security and the Relevant Jurisdiction other than merely holding such
Security or receiving principal, premium, if any, or interest in respect thereof (including such Holder or beneficial owner being or having been a
national, domiciliary or resident of such Relevant Jurisdiction or treated as a resident thereof or being or having been physically present or
engaged in a trade or business therein or having or having had a permanent establishment therein);
(ii) in respect of any Security presented for payment (where presentation is required) more than 30 days after the relevant date,
except to the extent that the Holder thereof would have been entitled to such Additional Amounts on presenting the same for payment on the last
day of such 30-day period. For this purpose, the “relevant date” in relation to any Security means the later of (a) the due date for such payment or
(b) the date such payment was made or duly provided for;
(iii) in respect of any Taxes that would not have been imposed, deducted or withheld but for a failure of the Holder or beneficial
owner of a Security to comply with a timely request by the Company addressed to the Holder or beneficial owner to provide information
concerning such Holder’s or beneficial owner’s nationality, residence, identity or connection with any Relevant Jurisdiction, if and to the extent
that due and timely compliance with such request is required under the tax laws of such jurisdiction in order to reduce or eliminate any
withholding or deduction as to which Additional Amounts would have otherwise been payable to such Holder;
(iv) in respect of any Taxes imposed as a result of a Security being presented for payment (where presentation is required) in the
Relevant Jurisdiction, unless such Security could not have been presented for payment elsewhere;
(v) in respect of any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, transfer, personal property or similar Taxes;
15
(vi) to any Holder of a Security that is a fiduciary, partnership or person other than the sole beneficial owner of any payment to the
extent that such payment would be required to be included in the income under the laws of a Relevant Jurisdiction, for tax purposes, of a
beneficiary or settlor with respect to the fiduciary, or a member of that partnership or a beneficial owner who would not have been entitled to such
Additional Amounts had that beneficiary, settlor, partner or beneficial owner been the Holder thereof;
(vii) with respect to any withholding or deduction that is imposed in connection with Sections 1471-1474 of the U.S. Internal
Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury regulations thereunder (“FATCA”), any intergovernmental agreement between the United States and any other
jurisdiction implementing or relating to FATCA or any non-U.S. law, regulation or guidance enacted or issued with respect thereto;
(viii) any such Taxes payable otherwise than by deduction or withholding from payments under or with respect to any Security; or
(ix) any combination of Taxes referred to in the preceding clauses (i) through (viii) above.”
(d) Section 7.01(e) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“(i) there occurs with respect to any indebtedness of the Company, whether such indebtedness exists as of the date hereof or shall hereafter
be created, (A) an event of default that has resulted in the holder thereof declaring the principal of such indebtedness to be due and payable
prior to its stated maturity or (B) a failure to make a payment of principal, interest or premium when due (after giving effect to the
expiration of any applicable grace period therefor, a “Payment Default”) and (ii) the outstanding principal amount of such indebtedness,
together with the outstanding principal amount of any of the Company’s other indebtedness under which there has been a Payment Default
or the maturity of which has been so accelerated, is equal to or exceeds the greater of (x) US$100,000,000 (or the Dollar Equivalent
thereof) and (y) 2.5% of the Total Equity of the Company;”
(e) Section 7.01(f) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money are rendered against the Company and are not paid or discharged, and
there is a period of 90 consecutive days following entry of the final judgment or order that causes the aggregate amount for all such final
judgments or orders outstanding and not paid or discharged against the Company (net of any amounts that the Company’s insurance
carriers have paid or agreed to pay with respect thereto under applicable policies) to exceed the greater of (x) US$100,000,000 (or the
Dollar Equivalent thereof) and (y) 2.5% of the Total Equity of the Company, during which a stay of enforcement, by reason of a pending
appeal or otherwise, is not in effect;”
16
(f) First sentence of Section 7.02(b) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“In the event of a declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of any series because of an Event of Default specified in
Section 7.01(e) above shall occur, the declaration of acceleration with respect to the Securities of such series shall be automatically
annulled if the Default triggering such Event of Default pursuant to Section 7.01(e) above shall be remedied or cured by the Company or
waived by the holders of the relevant indebtedness within 30 days after the declaration of acceleration with respect thereto and:”
(g) Section 14.01(h) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“to conform the text of this Indenture or any series of the Securities to any provision of the section entitled “Description of Debt
Securities” in the Prospectus or of the section entitled “Description of the Notes” in the Prospectus Supplement to the extent that such
provision in the Prospectus or the Prospectus Supplement, as the case may be, was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of
this Indenture or such series of the Securities as evidenced by an Officers’ Certificate;”
(h) Clause (xi) of Section 14.02(a) of the Base Indenture shall be replaced in its entirety by the following with respect to the Notes only:
“reduce the amount of the premium payable upon the redemption or repurchase of any Security or change the time at which any Security
may be redeemed or repurchased as described in Section 4.07 of the Base Indenture or as described in Section 2.03 or 2.05 of the Tenth Supplemental
Indenture, whether through an amendment or waiver of provisions in the covenants, definitions or otherwise (except through amendments to the
definition of “Triggering Event” if applicable).”
ARTICLE III
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 3.01 Confirmation of Indenture. The Base Indenture, as supplemented and amended by this Tenth Supplemental Indenture, is in all
respects ratified and confirmed, and the Base Indenture, this Tenth Supplemental Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto with respect to the
Notes shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.
Section 3.02 Severability. If any provision in this Tenth Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable
under applicable law, then the remaining provisions in this Tenth Supplemental Indenture or in the Notes shall be construed as though such invalid,
illegal or unenforceable provision were not contained herein.
17
Section 3.03 Conflicts with Base Indenture. In the event that any provision of this Tenth Supplemental Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with
a provision of the Base Indenture, such provision of the Tenth Supplemental Indenture shall prevail.
Section 3.04 Benefits of Indenture. Nothing in this Tenth Supplemental Indenture expressed and nothing that may be implied from any of the
provisions hereof is intended, or shall be construed, to confer upon, or to give to, any Person other than the parties hereto and their successors and the
Holders of the Notes any benefit or any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Tenth Supplement Indenture or the Base Indenture or any
covenant, condition, stipulation, promise or agreement hereof or thereof, and all covenants, conditions, stipulations, promises and agreements contained
herein or therein shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the parties hereto and their successors and of the Holders of the Notes.
Section 3.05 Counterparts . This Tenth Supplemental Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall
be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 3.06 Governing Law; Waiver of Trial by Jury. This Tenth Supplemental Indenture and the Notes shall be deemed to be contracts made
under the law of the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State (without regard
to conflicts of laws principles thereof that would permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction).
Section 3.07 Information Sharing. The Company understands that The Bank of New York Mellon is a global financial organization that operates in
and provides services and products to clients through affiliates and subsidiaries located in multiple jurisdictions (the “BNY Mellon Group”). The
Company also understands that the BNY Mellon Group may centralize in one or more affiliates, subsidiaries or unaffiliated service providers certain
activities, including audit, accounting, administration, risk management, legal, compliance, sales, marketing, relationship management, and the storage,
maintenance, aggregation, processing and analysis of information and data regarding the Company and any accounts maintained by it with the BNY
Mellon Group. Consequently, the Company hereby consents and authorizes The Bank of New York Mellon to disclose to other members of the BNY
Mellon Group (and their respective officers, directors and employees) on a need-to-know basis information and data regarding the Company and any
accounts established pursuant to this Tenth Supplemental Indenture in connection with the foregoing activities. To the extent that information and data
includes personal data encompassed by relevant data protection legislation applicable to the Company, the Company represents and warrants that it is
authorized to provide the foregoing consents and authorizations and that the disclosure to The Bank of New York Mellon will comply with the relevant
data protection legislation. The Company acknowledges and agrees that information concerning the Company may be disclosed to unaffiliated service
providers that the Trustee, where practicable, has previously identified in writing to the Company and who are required in writing to maintain the same
level of confidentiality of such information, or when required by law to governmental and regulatory authorities in jurisdictions where the BNY Mellon
Group operates.
18
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW,
ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF,
UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS TENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE.
[Signatures on following page]
19
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Tenth Supplemental Indenture to be duly executed as of the date first written above.
BAIDU, INC.,
as Issuer
/s/ Robin Yanhong Li
By:
Name: Robin Yanhong Li
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON
as Trustee
/s/ Vivian Hui
By:
Name: Vivian Hui
Title:
Vice President
FORM OF 1.625% NOTES DUE 2027
FACE OF NOTE
Exhibit 2.27
[For Inclusion in a Global Security only — UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE
DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER
NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE
OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.]
BAIDU, INC.
1.625% Note Due 2027
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: US$_________
CUSIP: 056752 AV0
No.: _________
Baidu, Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands (the “Company,” which term includes any successor thereto under the
Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co, or registered assigns, the principal sum of
__________________ U.S. DOLLARS (US$_____) (or such other principal amount as shall be set forth in the Schedule of Increases or Decreases in
Note attached hereto) on February 23, 2027, or on such earlier date as the principal hereof may become due in accordance with the provisions of this
Note.
Interest Rate: 1.625% per annum.
Interest Payment Dates: February 23 and August 23, commencing February 23, 2022
Record Dates: February 8 and August 8.
Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the
same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been manually signed by
the Trustee under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Baidu, Inc. has caused this Note to be duly executed.
Date: , 2021
BAIDU, INC.
By:
Name:
Title:
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This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
Date of authentication:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:
Name:
Title:
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REVERSE OF NOTE
BAIDU, INC.
1.625% Note Due 2027
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debt securities of the Company of the series designated as the “1.625% Notes due 2027” (the
“Notes”), all issued or to be issued under and pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of November 28, 2012 (the “Base Indenture”), duly executed and
delivered by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of
New York with limited liability, as trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee), as supplemented by the Tenth Supplemental
Indenture, dated as of August 23, 2021 (the “Tenth Supplemental Indenture”), duly executed and delivered by and between the Company and the
Trustee. The Base Indenture as supplemented and amended by the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto with respect to
the Notes is referred to herein as the “Indenture”. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given them in the
Indenture.
1. Interest. The Company promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at a rate of 1.625% per annum. The Company will pay
interest semi-annually in arrears on February 23 and August 23 of each year. If a payment date is not a Business Day as defined in the Indenture at a
Place of Payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening
period. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and, in the case of an incomplete month, the actual number of
days elapsed.
2. Method of Payment. The Company shall pay interest on the Notes (except Defaulted Interest), if any, to the Persons in whose name such Notes
are registered at the close of business on the Record Date referred to on the face of this Note immediately preceding the related Interest Payment Date,
even if any Notes are canceled, repurchased or redeemed on or after such Record Date and on or before such Interest Payment Date. Payment of interest
on the Notes shall be made, in the currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for payment of public and private debts, at the
specified office of the Paying Agent or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall
appear in the Register or, in accordance with arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, by wire transfer to an account designated by the Holder.
3. Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent and Registrar. Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon, will act as Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent
and Registrar. The Company may change or appoint any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Noteholder. The Company may act in any such
capacity.
A-4
4. Indenture. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939 (“TIA”) as in effect on the date the Indenture is qualified. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Noteholders are referred to the
Indenture and TIA for a statement of such terms. The Notes are unsecured general obligations of the Company and constitute the series designated on
the face of this Note as the “1.625% Notes due 2027,” initially limited to US$300,000,000 in aggregate principal amount. The Company will furnish to
any Noteholder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Base Indenture and the Tenth Supplemental Indenture. Requests may be made to:
Baidu, Inc., Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, People’s Republic of China, Attention: Legal Department.
5. Redemption and Repurchase. The Notes are subject to optional redemption, and may be the subject of a Triggering Event Offer, as further
described in the Indenture. The Company shall not be required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.
6. Denominations, Transfer, Exchange. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in the denominations of US$200,000 or any integral
multiple of US$1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Notes
may be presented for exchange or for registration of transfer (duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required
by the Company or the Registrar) at the office of the Registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by the Company for such purpose. The
Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any
Note being redeemed in part.
7. Persons Deemed Owners. The registered Noteholder may be treated as its owner for all purposes.
8. Amendments, Supplements and Waivers. The Indenture and the Notes may be amended or supplemented as provided in the Indenture. Any
consent or waiver by the Noteholders as provided in the Indenture shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holders and upon all future Noteholders
and holders of any security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such
consent or waiver is made upon the Notes.
9. Defaults and Remedies. The Events of Default relating to the Notes are defined in Section 7.01 of the Indenture. Upon the occurrence of an
Event of Default, the rights and obligations of the Company, the Trustee and the Noteholders shall be as set forth in the applicable provisions of the
Indenture.
10. No Recourse Against Others. No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or the Notes, or
because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator as such, or against any past, present or future stockholder, officer,
director or employee, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law,
statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being
expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof.
A-5
11. Authentication. This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated
by the manual signature of the Trustee.
12. Governing Law. The Base Indenture, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and this Note shall be deemed to be contracts made under the law of
the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State (without regard to conflicts of
laws principles thereof that would permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction).
A-6
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
[PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE]
ASSIGNMENT
[PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE]
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing
____________________________________________________________ Attorney to transfer such Note on the books of the Issuer, with full power of
substitution in the premises.
Dated:
Signature:
NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the
name as written upon the face of the within Note in every particular
without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
[Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include
membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be
determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.]
A-7
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Tenth Supplemental Indenture, check the box
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
below:
☐ Section 2.05
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Tenth Supplemental Indenture, state
the amount you elect to have purchased:
US$_________
Date:
Your Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears
on the face of this Note)
Tax Identification No:
A-8
The initial principal amount of this Note is US$_________. The following increases or decreases in a part of this Note have been made:
SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN NOTE*
Date
*
Insert in Global Notes.
Amount of decrease in
principal amount of this
Note
Amount of
increase in
principal amount
of this Note
Principal amount of
this Note following
such decrease (or
increase)
A-9
FORM OF 2.375% NOTES DUE 2031
FACE OF NOTE
Exhibit 2.28
[For Inclusion in a Global Security only — UNLESS AND UNTIL IT IS EXCHANGED IN WHOLE OR IN PART FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY, THIS GLOBAL SECURITY MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS A WHOLE BY THE
DEPOSITARY TO A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY A NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY TO THE DEPOSITARY OR ANOTHER
NOMINEE OF THE DEPOSITARY OR BY THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY SUCH NOMINEE TO A SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY OR A NOMINEE
OF SUCH SUCCESSOR DEPOSITARY.]
BAIDU, INC.
2.375% Note Due 2031
PRINCIPAL AMOUNT: US$_________
CUSIP: 056752 AU2
No.: _________
Baidu, Inc., an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands (the “Company,” which term includes any successor thereto under the
Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to Cede & Co, or registered assigns, the principal sum of
__________________ U.S. DOLLARS (US$_____) (or such other principal amount as shall be set forth in the Schedule of Increases or Decreases in
Note attached hereto) on August 23, 2031, or on such earlier date as the principal hereof may become due in accordance with the provisions of this
Note.
Interest Rate: 2.375% per annum.
Interest Payment Dates: February 23 and August 23, commencing February 23, 2022.
Record Dates: February 8 and August 8.
Reference is made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof. Such further provisions shall for all purposes have the
same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Note shall not be valid or become obligatory for any purpose until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been manually signed by
the Trustee under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof.
B-1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Baidu, Inc. has caused this Note to be duly executed.
Date: , 2021
BAIDU, INC.
By:
Name:
Title:
B-2
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
Date of authentication:
THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, as Trustee
By:
Name:
Title:
B-3
REVERSE OF NOTE
BAIDU, INC.
2.375% Note Due 2031
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debt securities of the Company of the series designated as the “2.375% Notes due 2031” (the
“Notes”), all issued or to be issued under and pursuant to an Indenture, dated as of November 28, 2012 (the “Base Indenture”), duly executed and
delivered by and between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon, a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of
New York with limited liability, as trustee (the “Trustee,” which term includes any successor trustee), as supplemented by the Tenth Supplemental
Indenture, dated as of August 23, 2021 (the “Tenth Supplemental Indenture”), duly executed and delivered by and between the Company and the
Trustee. The Base Indenture as supplemented and amended by the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto with respect to
the Notes is referred to herein as the “Indenture”. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings given them in the
Indenture.
1. Interest. The Company promises to pay interest on the principal amount of this Note at a rate of 2.375% per annum. The Company will pay
interest semi-annually in arrears on February 23 and August 23 of each year. If a payment date is not a Business Day as defined in the Indenture at a
Place of Payment, payment may be made at that place on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day, and no interest shall accrue for the intervening
period. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months and, in the case of an incomplete month, the actual number of
days elapsed.
2. Method of Payment. The Company shall pay interest on the Notes (except Defaulted Interest), if any, to the Persons in whose name such Notes
are registered at the close of business on the Record Date referred to on the face of this Note immediately preceding the related Interest Payment Date,
even if any Notes are canceled, repurchased or redeemed on or after such Record Date and on or before such Interest Payment Date. Payment of interest
on the Notes shall be made, in the currency of the United States of America that at the time is legal tender for payment of public and private debts, at the
specified office of the Paying Agent or, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall
appear in the Register or, in accordance with arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee, by wire transfer to an account designated by the Holder.
3. Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent and Registrar. Initially, The Bank of New York Mellon, will act as Paying Agent, Authenticating Agent
and Registrar. The Company may change or appoint any Paying Agent or Registrar without notice to any Noteholder. The Company may act in any such
capacity.
B-4
4. Indenture. The terms of the Notes include those stated in the Indenture and those made part of the Indenture by reference to the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939 (“TIA”) as in effect on the date the Indenture is qualified. The Notes are subject to all such terms, and Noteholders are referred to the
Indenture and TIA for a statement of such terms. The Notes are unsecured general obligations of the Company and constitute the series designated on
the face of this Note as the “2.375% Notes due 2031,” initially limited to US$700,000,000 in aggregate principal amount. The Company will furnish to
any Noteholder upon written request and without charge a copy of the Base Indenture and the Tenth Supplemental Indenture. Requests may be made to:
Baidu, Inc., Baidu Campus, No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, People’s Republic of China, Attention: Legal Department.
5. Redemption and Repurchase. The Notes are subject to optional redemption, and may be the subject of a Triggering Event Offer, as further
described in the Indenture. The Company shall not be required to make mandatory redemption or sinking fund payments with respect to the Notes.
6. Denominations, Transfer, Exchange. The Notes are in registered form without coupons in the denominations of US$200,000 or any integral
multiple of US$1,000 in excess thereof. The transfer of Notes may be registered and Notes may be exchanged as provided in the Indenture. The Notes
may be presented for exchange or for registration of transfer (duly endorsed or with the form of transfer endorsed thereon duly executed if so required
by the Company or the Registrar) at the office of the Registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by the Company for such purpose. The
Company need not exchange or register the transfer of any Note or portion of a Note selected for redemption, except for the unredeemed portion of any
Note being redeemed in part.
7. Persons Deemed Owners. The registered Noteholder may be treated as its owner for all purposes.
8. Amendments, Supplements and Waivers. The Indenture and the Notes may be amended or supplemented as provided in the Indenture. Any
consent or waiver by the Noteholders as provided in the Indenture shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holders and upon all future Noteholders
and holders of any security issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such
consent or waiver is made upon the Notes.
9. Defaults and Remedies. The Events of Default relating to the Notes are defined in Section 7.01 of the Indenture. Upon the occurrence of an
Event of Default, the rights and obligations of the Company, the Trustee and the Noteholders shall be as set forth in the applicable provisions of the
Indenture.
10. No Recourse Against Others. No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in the Indenture or the Notes, or
because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any incorporator as such, or against any past, present or future stockholder, officer,
director or employee, as such, of the Company or of any successor, either directly or through the Company or any successor, under any rule of law,
statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise, all such liability being
expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof.
B-5
11. Authentication. This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose until authenticated
by the manual signature of the Trustee.
12. Governing Law. The Base Indenture, the Tenth Supplemental Indenture and this Note shall be deemed to be contracts made under the law of
the State of New York, and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of said State (without regard to conflicts of
laws principles thereof that would permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction).
B-6
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s), assign(s) and transfer(s) unto
[PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE]
ASSIGNMENT
[PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE]
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing
____________________________________________________________ Attorney to transfer such Note on the books of the Issuer, with full power of
substitution in the premises.
Dated:
Signature:
NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the
name as written upon the face of the within Note in every particular
without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
[Signatures must be guaranteed by an “eligible guarantor institution” meeting the requirements of the Registrar, which requirements include
membership or participation in the Security Transfer Agent Medallion Program (“STAMP”) or such other “signature guarantee program” as may be
determined by the Registrar in addition to, or in substitution for, STAMP, all in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.]
B-7
If you want to elect to have this Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Tenth Supplemental Indenture, check the box
OPTION OF HOLDER TO ELECT PURCHASE
below:
☐ Section 2.05
If you want to elect to have only part of the Note purchased by the Company pursuant to Section 2.05 of the Tenth Supplemental Indenture, state
the amount you elect to have purchased:
US$_________
Date:
Your Signature:
(Sign exactly as your name appears
on the face of this Note)
Tax Identification No:
B-8
The initial principal amount of this Note is US$_________. The following increases or decreases in a part of this Note have been made:
SCHEDULE OF INCREASES OR DECREASES IN NOTE*
Date
*
Insert in Global Notes.
Amount of decrease in
principal amount of this
Note
Amount of
increase in
principal amount
of this Note
Principal amount
of this Note
following such
decrease (or
increase)
B-9
Exhibit 2.31
DESCRIPTION OF RIGHTS OF EACH CLASS OF SECURITIES
registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”)
As of December 31, 2021, Baidu, Inc., (or “Baidu”, “we” , “us” , “our company” and “our”) had the following series of securities registered
pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act:
Title of each class
American depositary shares, each representing eight Class A ordinary shares
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share*
Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.000000625 per share
Trading
Symbol(s)
BIDU
9888
Name of each exchange
on which registered
Nasdaq Global Select Market
Nasdaq Global Select Market
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong
Limited
*
Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market of American depositary shares.
This exhibit contains a description of the rights of (i) holders of share(s) and (ii) holders of ADS(s). Shares underlying the ADSs are held by The
Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, and holders of ADSs will not be treated as holders of the shares.
Shares
Type and Class of Securities (Item 9.A.5 of Form 20-F)
The ordinary shares of Baidu are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, each par value US$0.000000625 per share.
The respective number of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of the last day of our company’s respective
fiscal year is provided on the cover of the annual report on Form 20-F (the “Form 20-F”) of our company. Certificates representing the ordinary shares
are issued in registered form. Baidu will issue only non-negotiable shares, and will not issue bearer or negotiable shares.
Preemptive Rights (Item 9.A.3 of Form 20-F)
The shareholders of Baidu do not have preemptive rights.
Limitations or Qualifications (Item 9.A.6 of Form 20-F)
We keep and intend to maintain a dual-class voting structure. Holders of Class A ordinary shares are entitled to one vote per share, while holders
of Class B ordinary shares are entitled, on a poll, to ten votes per share.
As a result of the dual-class share structure and the concentration of ownership, holders of Class B ordinary shares will have considerable
influence over matters such as decisions regarding mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and
other significant corporate actions. Such holders may take actions that are not in the best interest of the other shareholders of Baidu. This concentration
of ownership may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of Baidu, which could have the effect of depriving other shareholders of the
opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of Baidu and may reduce the price of the ADSs. This concentrated control will limit
the ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover or other change of control
transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.
A description of the differences between Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares is provided in “Part I—Item 10. Additional
Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association—Ordinary Shares” of the Form 20-F.
Other Rights (Item 9.A.7 of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Rights of the Shares (Item 10.B.3 of Form 20-F)
See “Item 10.B. Additional Information—Memorandum and Articles of Association—Ordinary Shares” of the Form 20-F.
Requirements for Amendments (Item 10.B.4 of Form 20-F)
See “Item 10.B. Additional Information—Memorandum and Articles of Association” of the Form 20-F.
Limitations on the Rights to Own Shares (Item 10.B.6 of Form 20-F)
There are no limitations imposed by our memorandum and articles of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or
exercise voting rights on our shares.
Provisions Affecting Any Change of Control (Item 10.B.7 of Form 20-F)
See “Item 10.B. Additional Information—Memorandum and Articles of Association” of the Form 20-F.
Ownership Threshold (Item 10.B.8 of Form 20-F)
There are no provisions in Baidu’s fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association that require our company to disclose
shareholder ownership above any particular ownership threshold . However, shareholders of Baidu will be required to disclose shareholder ownership in
accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Differences Between the Law of Different Jurisdictions (Item 10.B.9 of Form 20-F)
The Companies Act is derived, to a large extent, from the older Companies Acts of England but does not follow recent English statutory
enactments and accordingly there are significant differences between the Companies Act and the current Companies Act of England. In addition, the
Companies Act differs from laws applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Set forth below is a summary of certain significant differences
between the provisions of the Companies Act applicable to us and the laws applicable to companies incorporated in the United States and their
shareholders.
Mergers and Similar Arrangements. The Companies Act permits mergers and consolidations between Cayman Islands companies and between
Cayman Islands companies and non-Cayman Islands companies. For these purposes, (i) “merger” means the merging of two or more constituent
companies and the vesting of their undertaking, property and liabilities in one of such companies as the surviving company, and (ii) a “consolidation”
means the combination of two or more constituent companies into a consolidated company and the vesting of the undertaking, property and liabilities of
such companies to the consolidated company. In order to effect such a merger or consolidation, the directors of each constituent company must approve
a written plan of merger or consolidation, which must then be authorized by (a) a special resolution of the shareholders of each constituent company, and
(b) such other authorization, if any, as may be specified in such constituent company’s articles of association. The plan must be filed with the Registrar
of Companies of the Cayman Islands together with a declaration as to the solvency of the consolidated or surviving company, a list of the assets and
liabilities of each constituent company and an undertaking that a copy of the certificate of merger or consolidation will be given to the members and
creditors of each constituent company and that notification of the merger or consolidation will be published in the Cayman Islands Gazette. Court
approval is not required for a merger or consolidation which is effected in compliance with these statutory procedures.
A merger between a Cayman parent company and its Cayman subsidiary or subsidiaries does not require authorization by a resolution of
shareholders of that Cayman subsidiary if a copy of the plan of merger is given to every member of that Cayman subsidiary to be merged unless that
member agrees otherwise. For this purpose a company is a “parent” of a subsidiary if it holds issued shares that together represent at least ninety percent
(90%) of the votes at a general meeting of the subsidiary.
The consent of each holder of a fixed or floating security interest over a constituent company is required unless this requirement is waived by a
court in the Cayman Islands.
2
Save in certain limited circumstances, a shareholder of a Cayman Islands constituent company who dissents from the merger or consolidation is
entitled to payment of the fair value of his or her shares (which, if not agreed between the parties, will be determined by the Cayman Islands court) upon
dissenting to the merger or consolidation, provide the dissenting shareholder complies strictly with the procedures set out in the Companies Act. The
exercise of such dissenter rights will preclude the exercise by the dissenting shareholder of any other rights to which he or she might otherwise be
entitled by virtue of holding shares, save for the right to seek relief on the grounds that the merger or consolidation is void or unlawful.
Separate from the statutory provisions relating to mergers and consolidations, the Companies Act also contains statutory provisions that facilitate
the reconstruction and amalgamation of companies by way of schemes of arrangement, provided that the arrangement is approved by a majority in
number of each class of shareholders and creditors with whom the arrangement is to be made, and who must in addition represent three-fourths in value
of each such class of shareholders or creditors, as the case may be, that are present and voting either in person or by proxy at a meeting, or meetings,
convened for that purpose. The convening of the meetings and subsequently the arrangement must be sanctioned by the Grand Court of the Cayman
Islands. While a dissenting shareholder has the right to express to the court the view that the transaction ought not to be approved, the court can be
expected to approve the arrangement if it determines that:
•
•
•
•
the statutory provisions as to the required majority vote have been met;
the shareholders have been fairly represented at the meeting in question and the statutory majority are acting bona fide without coercion of
the minority to promote interests adverse to those of the class;
the arrangement is such that may be reasonably approved by an intelligent and honest man of that class acting in respect of his interest; and
the arrangement is not one that would more properly be sanctioned under some other provision of the Companies Act.
The Companies Act also contains a statutory power of compulsory acquisition which may facilitate the “squeeze out” of dissentient minority
shareholder upon a tender offer. When a tender offer is made and accepted by holders of 90.0% of the shares affected within four months, the offeror
may, within a two-month period commencing on the expiration of such four-month period, require the holders of the remaining shares to transfer such
shares to the offeror on the terms of the offer. An objection can be made to the Grand Court of the Cayman Islands but this is unlikely to succeed in the
case of an offer which has been so approved unless there is evidence of fraud, bad faith or collusion.
If an arrangement and reconstruction is thus approved, or if a tender offer is made and accepted, a dissenting shareholder would have no rights
comparable to appraisal rights, which would otherwise ordinarily be available to dissenting shareholders of Delaware corporations, providing rights to
receive payment in cash for the judicially determined value of the shares.
Shareholders’ Suits. In principle, we will normally be the proper plaintiff to sue for a wrong done to us as a company, and as a general rule a
derivative action may not be brought by a minority shareholder. However, based on English authorities, which would in all likelihood be of persuasive
authority in the Cayman Islands, the Cayman Islands court can be expected to follow and apply the common law principles (namely the rule in Foss v.
Harbottle and the exceptions thereto) so that a non-controlling shareholder may be permitted to commence a class action against or derivative actions in
the name of the company to challenge actions where:
•
•
•
a company acts or proposes to act illegally or ultra vires;
the act complained of, although not ultra vires, could only be effected duly if authorized by more than a simple majority vote that has not
been obtained; and
those who control the company are perpetrating a “fraud on the minority.”
Indemnification of Directors and Executive Officers and Limitation of Liability. The Companies Act does not limit the extent to which a
company’s memorandum and articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision
may be held by the Cayman
3
Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Our
fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that our directors and officers shall be indemnified against all actions,
proceedings, costs, charges, expenses, losses, damages or liabilities incurred or sustained by such director or officer, other than by reason of such
person’s own dishonesty, willful default or fraud, in or about the conduct of our company’s business or affairs (including as a result of any mistake of
judgment) or in the execution or discharge of his duties, powers, authorities or discretions, including without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing,
any costs, expenses, losses or liabilities incurred by such director or officer in defending (whether successfully or otherwise) any civil proceedings
concerning our company or its affairs in any court whether in the Cayman Islands or elsewhere. This standard of conduct is generally the same as
permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation.
In addition, we enter into indemnification agreements with our directors and executive officers that provide such persons with additional
indemnification beyond that provided in our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under
the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the
Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Directors’ Fiduciary Duties. Under Delaware corporate law, a director of a Delaware corporation has a fiduciary duty to the corporation and its
shareholders. This duty has two components: the duty of care and the duty of loyalty. The duty of care requires that a director act in good faith, with the
care that an ordinarily prudent person would exercise under similar circumstances. Under this duty, a director must inform himself of, and disclose to
shareholders, all material information reasonably available regarding a significant transaction. The duty of loyalty requires that a director acts in a
manner he reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the corporation. He must not use his corporate position for personal gain or advantage. This
duty prohibits self-dealing by a director and mandates that the best interest of the corporation and its shareholders take precedence over any interest
possessed by a director, officer or controlling shareholder and not shared by the shareholders generally. In general, actions of a director are presumed to
have been made on an informed basis, in good faith and in the honest belief that the action taken was in the best interests of the corporation. However,
this presumption may be rebutted by evidence of a breach of one of the fiduciary duties. Should such evidence be presented concerning a transaction by
a director, the director must prove the procedural fairness of the transaction, and that the transaction was of fair value to the corporation.
As a matter of Cayman Islands law, a director of a Cayman Islands company is in the position of a fiduciary with respect to the company and
therefore it is considered that he owes the following duties to the company—a duty to act bona fide in the best interests of the company, a duty not to
make a profit based on his position as director (unless the company permits him to do so), a duty not to put himself in a position where the interests of
the company conflict with his personal interest or his duty to a third party, and a duty to exercise powers for the purpose for which such powers were
intended. A director of a Cayman Islands company owes to the company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director
need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and
experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care and these
authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands.
Shareholder Action by Written Consent. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may eliminate the right of shareholders to
act by written consent by amendment to its certificate of incorporation. Cayman Islands law and our fourth amended and restated articles of association
provide that shareholders may approve corporate matters by way of a unanimous written resolution signed by or on behalf of each shareholder who
would have been entitled to vote on such matter at a general meeting without a meeting being held.
Shareholder Proposals. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a shareholder has the right to put any proposal before the annual meeting
of shareholders, provided it complies with the notice provisions in the governing documents. A special meeting may be called by the board of directors
or any other person authorized to do so in the governing documents, but shareholders may be precluded from calling special meetings.
4
The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any
right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our fourth amended
and restated articles of association allow our shareholders holding in aggregate not less than 10% of voting power represented by the issued shares of the
Company as at that date carries the right of voting at general meetings of the Company, on a one vote per share basis, to requisition an extraordinary
general meeting of our shareholders, in which case our board is obliged to convene an extraordinary general meeting and to put the resolutions so
requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. Other than this right to requisition a shareholders’ meeting, our fourth amended and restated articles of
association do not provide our shareholders with any other right to put proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings. As a
Cayman Islands exempted company, we are not obliged by law to call shareholders’ annual general meetings.
Cumulative Voting. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, cumulative voting for elections of directors is not permitted unless the
corporation’s certificate of incorporation specifically provides for it. Cumulative voting potentially facilitates the representation of minority shareholders
on a board of directors since it permits the minority shareholder to cast all the votes to which the shareholder is entitled on a single director, which
increases the shareholder’s voting power with respect to electing such director. There are no prohibitions in relation to cumulative voting under the laws
of the Cayman Islands but our fourth amended and restated articles of association do not provide for cumulative voting. As a result, our shareholders are
not afforded any less protections or rights on this issue than shareholders of a Delaware corporation.
Removal of Directors. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a director of a corporation with a classified board may be removed only for
cause with the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. Under our
fourth amended and restated articles of association, directors may be removed with or without cause, by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders.
Transactions with Interested Shareholders. The Delaware General Corporation Law contains a business combination statute applicable to
Delaware corporations whereby, unless the corporation has specifically elected not to be governed by such statute by amendment to its certificate of
incorporation, it is prohibited from engaging in certain business combinations with an “interested shareholder” for three years following the date that
such person becomes an interested shareholder. An interested shareholder generally is a person or a group who or which owns or owned 15% or more of
the target’s outstanding voting share within the past three years. This has the effect of limiting the ability of a potential acquirer to make a two-tiered bid
for the target in which all shareholders would not be treated equally. The statute does not apply if, among other things, prior to the date on which such
shareholder becomes an interested shareholder, the board of directors approves either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the
person becoming an interested shareholder. This encourages any potential acquirer of a Delaware corporation to negotiate the terms of any acquisition
transaction with the target’s board of directors.
Cayman Islands law has no comparable statute. As a result, we cannot avail ourselves of the types of protections afforded by the Delaware
business combination statute. However, although Cayman Islands law does not regulate transactions between a company and its significant shareholders,
it does provide that such transactions must be entered into bona fide in the best interests of the company and not with the effect of constituting a fraud on
the minority shareholders.
Dissolution; Winding up. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, unless the board of directors approves the proposal to dissolve,
dissolution must be approved by shareholders holding 100% of the total voting power of the corporation. Only if the dissolution is initiated by the board
of directors may it be approved by a simple majority of the corporation’s outstanding shares. Delaware law allows a Delaware corporation to include in
its certificate of incorporation a supermajority voting requirement in connection with dissolutions initiated by the board.
Under the Companies Act, a company may be wound up by either an order of the courts of the Cayman Islands or by a special resolution of its
members or, if the company is unable to pay its debts as they fall due, by an ordinary resolution of its members. The court has authority to order winding
up in a number of specified circumstances including where it is, in the opinion of the court, just and equitable to do so. Under the Companies Act and
our fourth amended and restated articles of association, our company may be dissolved, liquidated or wound up by a special resolution of our
shareholders.
5
Variation of Rights of Shares. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation may vary the rights of a class of shares with the
approval of a majority of the outstanding shares of such class, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. As permitted by Cayman
Islands law, under our fourth amended and restated articles of association, if our share capital is divided into more than one class of shares, we may vary
the rights attached to any class with the written consent of the holders of at least a majority of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a
special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of the shares of that class.
Amendment of Governing Documents. Under the Delaware General Corporation Law, a corporation’s governing documents may be amended with
the approval of a majority of the outstanding shares entitled to vote, unless the certificate of incorporation provides otherwise. As permitted by Cayman
Islands law, our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may only be amended with a special resolution of our
shareholders.
Rights of Non-resident or Foreign Shareholders. There are no limitations imposed by our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles
of association on the rights of non-resident or foreign shareholders to hold or exercise voting rights on our shares. In addition, there are no provisions in
our fourth h amended and restated memorandum and articles of association governing the ownership threshold above which shareholder ownership must
be disclosed.
Changes in Capital (Item 10.B.10 of Form 20-F)
See “Item 10.B. Additional Information—Memorandum and Articles of Association” of the Form 20-F.
Debt Securities (Item 12.A of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Warrants and Rights (Item 12.B of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
Other Securities (Item 12.C of Form 20-F)
Not applicable.
American Depositary Shares (Items 12.D.1 and 12.D.2 of Form 20-F)
The name of the depositary is The Bank of New York Mellon. The depositary’s corporate trust office at which the ADSs will be administered is
located at 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10286, USA. The principal executive office of the depositary is located at 240 Greenwich Street,
New York, New York 10286, USA.
One ADSs will represent an ownership interest of eight Class A ordinary shares of our company, deposited with principal Hong Kong office of
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, as custodian for the depositary. Each ADS will also represent ownership of any other
securities, cash or other property which may be held by the depositary.
The Direct Registration System, or DRS, is a system administered by The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, pursuant to which the depositary
may register the ownership of uncertificated ADSs, which ownership shall be evidenced by periodic statements issued by the depositary to the ADS
holders entitled thereto.
We will not treat ADS holders as our shareholders and accordingly, you, as an ADS holder, will not have shareholder rights. Cayman Islands law
governs shareholder rights. The depositary will be the holder of the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs. As a holder of ADSs, you will have
ADS holder rights. A deposit agreement among us, the depositary and you, as an ADS holder, and the beneficial owners of ADSs sets out ADS holder
rights as well as the rights and obligations of the depositary. The laws of the State of New York govern the deposit agreement and the ADSs.
6
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should read the entire
deposit agreement and the form of American Depositary Receipt. This summary does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its
entirety by our Form F-6 filed on August 2, 2005 (Commission file No. 333-126546), which is incorporated herein by reference, including the exhibits
thereto. For directions on how to obtain copies of those documents, see “Item 10.H. Additional Information—Documents on Display” of the Form 20-F.
Dividends and Other Distributions
How will you receive dividends and other distributions on the shares?
The depositary has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on shares or other deposited
securities, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of shares your ADSs represent.
•
Cash. The depositary will convert any cash dividend or other cash distribution we pay on the shares into U.S. dollars, if it can do so on a
reasonable basis and can transfer the U.S. dollars to the United States. If that is not possible or if any government approval is needed and
cannot be obtained, the deposit agreement allows the depositary to distribute the foreign currency only to those ADR holders to whom it is
possible to do so. It will hold the foreign currency it cannot convert for the account of the ADR holders who have not been paid. It will not
invest the foreign currency and it will not be liable for any interest.
Before making a distribution, the depositary will deduct any withholding taxes that must be paid. It will distribute only whole U.S. dollars
and cents and will round fractional cents to the nearest whole cent. If the exchange rates fluctuate during a time when the depositary
cannot convert the foreign currency, you may lose some or all of the value of the distribution.
•
Shares. The depositary may distribute additional ADSs representing any shares we distribute as a dividend or free distribution. The
depositary will only distribute whole ADSs. It will try to sell shares which would require it to deliver a fractional ADS and distribute the
net proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. If the depositary does not distribute additional ADRs, the outstanding ADSs will also
represent the new shares.
•
Rights to Purchase Additional Shares. If we offer holders of our securities any rights to subscribe for additional shares or any other rights,
the depositary may make these rights available to you. If the depositary decides it is not legal and practical to make the rights available but
that it is practical to sell the rights, the depositary may sell the rights and distribute the proceeds in the same way as it does with cash. The
depositary will allow rights that are not distributed or sold to lapse. In that case, you will receive no value for them.
If the depositary makes rights available to you, it will exercise the rights and purchase the shares on your behalf. The depositary will then
deposit the shares and deliver ADSs to you. It will only exercise rights if you pay it the exercise price and any other charges the rights
require you to pay.
U.S. securities laws may restrict transfers and cancellation of the ADSs represented by shares purchased upon exercise of rights. For
example, you may not be able to trade these ADSs freely in the United States. In this case, the depositary may deliver restricted depositary
shares that have the same terms as the ADRs described in this section except for changes needed to put the necessary restrictions in place.
•
Other Distributions. The depositary will send to you anything else we distribute on deposited securities by any means it thinks is legal, fair
and practical. If it cannot make the distribution in that way, the depositary has a choice. It may decide to sell what we distributed and
distribute the net proceeds, in the same way as it does with cash. Or, it may decide to hold what we distributed, in which case ADSs will
also represent the newly distributed property. However, the depositary is not required to distribute any securities (other than ADSs) to you
unless it receives satisfactory evidence from us that it is legal to make that distribution.
7
The depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any ADR holders. We have no
obligation to register ADSs, shares, rights or other securities under the Securities Act. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the
distribution of ADRs, shares, rights or anything else to ADR holders. This means that you may not receive the distributions we make on our shares or
any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you.
Deposit, Withdrawal and Cancellation
How are ADSs issued?
The depositary will deliver ADSs if you or your broker deposits shares or evidence of rights to receive shares with the custodian. Upon payment
of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will register the appropriate
number of ADSs in the names you request and will deliver the ADRs at its office to the persons you request.
How do ADS holders cancel an ADR and obtain shares?
You may surrender your ADRs at the depositary’s office. Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes
or stock transfer taxes or fees, the depositary will deliver the shares and any other deposited securities underlying the ADR to you or a person you
designate at the office of the custodian. Or, at your request, risk and expense, the depositary will deliver the deposited securities to its office, if feasible.
Voting Rights
How do you vote?
You may instruct the depositary to vote the number of shares your ADSs represent. The depositary will notify you of shareholders’ meetings and
arrange to deliver our voting materials to you if we ask it to. Those materials will describe the matters to be voted on and explain how you may instruct
the depositary how to vote. For instructions to be valid, they must reach the depositary by the date set by the depositary.
The depositary will try, as far as practical, subject to Cayman Islands law and the provisions of our constitutive documents, to vote the number of
shares or other deposited securities represented by your ADSs as you instruct. The depositary will only vote or attempt to vote as you instruct or as
described in the following sentence. If we asked the depositary to solicit your instructions but the depositary does not receive voting instructions from
you by the specified date, it will consider you to have authorized and directed it to give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us to vote the
number of deposited securities represented by your ADSs. The depositary will give a discretionary proxy in those circumstances to vote on all questions
at to be voted upon unless we notify the depositary that:
•
•
•
we do not wish to receive a discretionary proxy;
there is substantial shareholder opposition to the particular question; or
the particular question would have an adverse impact on our shareholders.
We are required to notify the depositary if one of the conditions specified above exists.
We cannot ensure that you will receive voting materials or otherwise learn of an upcoming shareholders’ meeting in time to ensure that you can
instruct the depositary to vote your shares. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for
the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to vote and there may be nothing you can do if your shares are not
voted as you requested.
8
Fees and Expenses
Persons depositing shares or ADR holders must pay:
US$5.00 (or less) per 100 ADSs (or portion of 100 ADSs)
For:
•
Issuance of ADSs, including issuances resulting from a distribution
of shares or rights or other property
•
Cancellation of ADSs for the purpose of withdrawal, including if
the deposit agreement terminates
US$0.02 (or less) per ADS
•
Any cash distribution to you
A fee equivalent to the fee that would be payable if securities distributed to
you had been shares and the shares had been deposited for issuance of ADSs
•
Distribution of securities distributed to holders of deposited
securities which are distributed by the depositary to ADR holders
US$0.02 (or less) per ADSs per calendar year (if the depositary has not
collected any cash distribution fee during that year)
•
Depositary services
Expenses of the depositary
Registration or transfer fees
•
•
•
Cable, telex and facsimile transmissions (when expressly provided
in the deposit agreement)
Converting foreign currency to U.S. dollars
Transfer and registration of shares on our share register to or from
the name of the depositary or its agent when you deposit or
withdraw shares
Taxes and other governmental charges the depositary or the custodian have to
pay on any ADR or share underlying an ADR, for example, stock transfer
taxes, stamp duty or withholding taxes
•
As necessary
Any charges incurred by the depositary or its agents for servicing the
deposited securities
•
As necessary
Payment of Taxes
The depositary may deduct the amount of any taxes owed from any payments to you. It may also sell deposited securities, by public or private
sale, to pay any taxes owed. You will remain liable if the proceeds of the sale are not enough to pay the taxes. If the depositary sells deposited securities,
it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to you any proceeds, or send to you any property, remaining after it has paid
the taxes.
Reclassifications, Recapitalizations and Mergers
If we:
•
Change the nominal or par value of our shares;
•
Reclassify, split up or consolidate any of the deposited securities;
Then:
The cash, shares or other securities received by the depositary will
become deposited securities. Each ADS will automatically represent its
equal share of the new deposited securities.
The cash, shares or other securities received by the depositary will
become deposited securities. Each ADS will automatically represent its
equal share of the new deposited securities.
•
•
Distribute securities on the shares that are not distributed to you; or
Recapitalize, reorganize, merge, liquidate, sell all or substantially all of
our assets, or take any similar action.
The depositary may distribute some or all of the cash, shares or other
securities it receives. It may also deliver new ADRs or ask you to
surrender your outstanding ADRs in exchange for new ADRs identifying
the new deposited securities.
9
Amendment and Termination
How may the deposit agreement be amended?
We may agree with the depositary to amend the deposit agreement and the ADRs without your consent for any reason. If an amendment adds or
increases fees or charges, except for taxes and other governmental charges or expenses of the depositary for registration fees, facsimile costs, delivery
charges or similar items, or prejudices a substantial right of ADR holders, it will not become effective for outstanding ADRs until 30 days after the
depositary notifies ADR holders of the amendment. At the time an amendment becomes effective, you are considered, by continuing to hold your ADR,
to agree to the amendment and to be bound by the ADRs and the deposit agreement as amended.
How may the deposit agreement be terminated?
The depositary will terminate the deposit agreement if we ask it to do so. The depositary may also terminate the deposit agreement if the
depositary has told us that it would like to resign and we have not appointed a new depositary bank within 60 days. In either case, the depositary must
notify you at least 30 days before termination. After termination, the depositary and its agents will do the following under the deposit agreement but
nothing else: (1) collect distributions on the deposited securities, (2) sell rights and other property, and (3) deliver shares and other deposited securities
upon cancellation of ADRs. Six months or more after termination, the depositary may sell any remaining deposited securities by public or private sale.
After that, the depositary will hold the money it received on the sale, as well as any other cash it is holding under the deposit agreement for the pro rata
benefit of the ADR holders that have not surrendered their ADRs. It will not invest the money and has no liability for interest. The depositary’s only
obligations will be to account for the money and other cash. After termination our only obligations will be to indemnify the depositary and to pay fees
and expenses of the depositary that we agreed to pay.
Limitations on Obligations and Liability
Limits on our Obligations and the Obligations of the Depositary; Limits on Liability to Holders of ADRs
The deposit agreement expressly limits our obligations and the obligations of the depositary. It also limits our liability and the liability of the
depositary. We and the depositary:
•
•
•
•
•
are only obligated to take the actions specifically set forth in the deposit agreement without negligence or bad faith;
are not liable if either of us is prevented or delayed by law or circumstances beyond our control from performing our obligations under the
deposit agreement;
are not liable if either of us exercises discretion permitted under the deposit agreement;
have no obligation to become involved in a lawsuit or other proceeding related to the ADRs or the deposit agreement on your behalf or on
behalf of any other person; and
may rely upon any documents we believe in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party.
In the deposit agreement, we agree to indemnify the depositary for acting as depositary, except for losses caused by the depositary’s own
negligence or bad faith, and the depositary agrees to indemnify us for losses resulting from its negligence or bad faith.
Requirements for Depositary Actions
Before the depositary will deliver or register a transfer of an ADR, make a distribution on an ADR, or permit withdrawal of shares or other
property, the depositary may require:
•
payment of stock transfer or other taxes or other governmental charges and transfer or registration fees charged by third parties for the
transfer of any shares or other deposited securities;
10
•
•
satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and
compliance with regulations it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including presentation of transfer
documents.
The depositary may refuse to deliver ADRs or register transfers of ADRs generally when the transfer books of the depositary or our transfer books
are closed or at any time if the depositary or we think it advisable to do so.
Your Right to Receive the Shares Underlying Your ADRs
You have the right to cancel your ADRs and withdraw the underlying shares at any time except:
•
•
•
when temporary delays arise because: (1) the depositary has closed its transfer books or we have closed our transfer books, (2) the transfer
of shares is blocked to permit voting at a shareholders’ meeting, or (3) we are paying a dividend on our shares;
when you or other ADR holders seeking to withdraw shares owe money to pay fees, taxes and similar charges; and
when it is necessary to prohibit withdrawals in order to comply with any laws or governmental regulations that apply to ADRs or to the
withdrawal of shares or other deposited securities.
This right of withdrawal may not be limited by any other provision of the deposit agreement.
Conversion between Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong and ADSs (Item 12.D.1 and 12.D.2 of Form 20-F)
Dealings and Settlement of Class A Ordinary Shares in Hong Kong
Our Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in board lots of 50 Class A ordinary shares on March 23,
2021. Dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are conducted in Hong Kong dollars.
The transaction costs of dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hong Kong Stock Exchange trading fee of 0.005% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to each of the buyer and seller;
Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, or SFC, transaction levy of 0.0027% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to
each of the buyer and seller;
trading tariff of HK$0.50 on each and every purchase or sale transaction. The decision on whether or not to pass the trading tariff onto
investors is at the discretion of brokers;
transfer deed stamp duty of HK$5.00 per transfer deed (if applicable), payable by the seller;
ad valorem stamp duty at a total rate of 0.2% of the value of the transaction, with 0.1% payable by each of the buyer and the seller;
stock settlement fee, which is currently 0.002% of the gross transaction value, subject to a minimum fee of HK$2.00 and a maximum fee
of HK$100.00 per side per trade;
brokerage commission, which is freely negotiable with the broker (other than brokerage commissions for IPO transactions which are
currently set at 1% of the subscription or purchase price and will be payable by the person subscribing for or purchasing the securities);
and
the Hong Kong share registrar will charge between HK$2.50 to HK$20.00, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may
from time to time be permitted under the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of ordinary shares from one registered owner to
another, each share certificate canceled or issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong.
11
Investors must settle their trades executed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange through their brokers directly or through custodians. For an investor
who has deposited his or her Class A ordinary shares in his or her stock account or in his or her designated CCASS participant’s stock account
maintained with CCASS, settlement will be effected in CCASS in accordance with the General Rules of CCASS and CCASS Operational Procedures in
effect from time to time. For an investor who holds the physical certificates, settlement certificates and the duly executed transfer forms must be
delivered to his or her broker or custodian before the settlement date.
Conversion between Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong and ADSs
In connection with initial public offering of Class A ordinary shares in Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong IPO, we have established a branch register
of members in Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong share register, which will be maintained by our Hong Kong share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong
Investor Services Limited. Our principal register of members, or the Cayman share register, will continue to be maintained by our principal share
registrar, Maples Fund Services (Cayman) Limited.
All Class A ordinary shares offered in the Hong Kong IPO are registered on the Hong Kong share register in order to be listed and traded on the
Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As described in further detail below, holders of Class A ordinary shares registered on the Hong Kong share register will be
able to deposit these ordinary shares into ADSs, and vice versa.
Depositing Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong for delivery of ADSs
An investor who holds Class A ordinary shares registered in Hong Kong and who intends to convert them to ADSs to trade on Nasdaq must
deposit or have his or her broker deposit the Class A ordinary shares with the depositary’s Hong Kong custodian, The Hong Kong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation Limited, Hong Kong, or the custodian, in exchange for ADSs.
A deposit of Class A ordinary shares trading in Hong Kong in exchange for ADSs involves the following procedures:
•
•
•
If Class A ordinary shares have been deposited with CCASS, the investor must transfer ordinary shares to the depositary’s account with the
custodian within CCASS by following the CCASS procedures for transfer and submit and deliver a duly completed and signed ADS
delivery form to the custodian via his or her broker.
If Class A ordinary shares are held outside CCASS, the investor must arrange for the registration of a transfer of his or her Class A
ordinary shares into the depositary’s name and delivery of evidence of that registration to the custodian, and must sign and deliver an ADS
delivery form to the depositary.
Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable, the
depositary will register the corresponding number of ADSs in the name(s) requested by an investor and will deliver the ADSs as instructed
in the ADS delivery form.
For Class A ordinary shares deposited in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided that
the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For Class A ordinary shares held outside CCASS in physical form, the above steps may take
14 business days, or more, to complete. Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed
to ADS issuances. The investor will be unable to trade the ADSs until the procedures are completed.
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Surrender of ADSs for Delivery of Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong
An investor who holds ADSs and wishes to receive Class A ordinary shares that trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange must cancel the ADSs
the investor holds and withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program and cause his or her broker or other financial institution to trade such
Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
An investor that holds ADSs indirectly through a broker or other financial institution should follow the procedure of the broker or financial
institution and instruct the broker to arrange for cancelation of the ADSs, and transfer of the underlying Class A ordinary shares from the depositary’s
account with the custodian within the CCASS system to the investor’s Hong Kong stock account.
For investors holding ADSs directly, the following steps must be taken:
•
•
•
To withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program, an investor who holds ADSs may turn in such ADSs at the office of the
depositary (and the applicable ADR(s) if the ADSs are held in certificated form), and send an instruction to cancel such ADSs to the
depositary. Those instructions must have a Medallion signature guarantee.
Upon payment or net of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable,
the depositary will instruct the custodian to deliver Class A ordinary shares underlying the canceled ADSs to the CCASS account
designated by an investor.
If an investor prefers to receive Class A ordinary shares outside CCASS, he or she must so indicate in the instruction delivered to the
depositary.
For Class A ordinary shares to be received in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided
that the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For Class A ordinary shares to be received outside CCASS in physical form, the above
steps may take 14 business days, or more, to complete. The investor will be unable to trade the Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange until the procedures are completed.
Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed to ADS cancellations. In addition,
completion of the above steps and procedures for delivery for Class A ordinary shares in a CCASS account is subject to there being a sufficient number
of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate a withdrawal from the ADS program directly into the CCASS system. We are
not under any obligation to maintain or increase the number of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate such withdrawals.
Depositary Requirements
Before the depositary delivers ADSs or permits withdrawal of Class A ordinary shares, the depositary may require:
•
•
production of satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and
compliance with procedures it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including completion and
presentation of transfer documents.
The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer, or register issuances, transfers and cancelations of ADSs generally when the transfer books of the
depositary or our Hong Kong share registrar are closed or at any time if the depositary or we determine it advisable to do so.
All costs attributable to the transfer of ordinary shares to effect a withdrawal from or deposit of Class A ordinary shares into our ADS program
will be borne by the investor requesting the transfer or deposit. In particular, holders of ordinary shares and ADSs should note that the Hong Kong share
registrar will charge between HK$2.50 to HK$20, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may from time to time be permitted under
the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of Class A ordinary shares from one registered owner to another, each share certificate canceled or
issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong. In addition, holders of ordinary shares and ADSs must pay
up to US$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or portion thereof) for each issuance of ADSs and each cancelation of ADSs, as the case may be, in connection with the
deposit of Class A ordinary shares into, or withdrawal of ordinary shares from, the ADS facility.
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•
Exclusive Technology Consulting and Services Agreement / Exclusive Business Cooperation Agreement (the “Exclusive Services Agreement”)
Exhibit 4.10
Parties:
(1) An applicable PRC Subsidiary; and
(2)
an applicable Consolidated Entity.
Key Terms:
(1) During the term of the Exclusive Services Agreement, the PRC Subsidiary shall, as the exclusive technology consulting and services provider of
the Consolidated Entity, provide the exclusive technology consulting and services, among other things, the maintenance of servers, software
development and upgrade, design of advertisements, e-commerce technical services, data analysis, customers management, human resources
management, information consulting, information collection and market survey, training and other information consulting and technology
services, etc..
The Consolidated Entity agrees to accept the exclusive technology consulting and services provided by the PRC Subsidiary and further agrees
that, during the term of such agreement, without the prior written consent of the PRC Subsidiary, it shall not, (i) accept any similar technology
consulting and services provided by any third party, or (ii) enter into cooperation relationship with any third party with respect to the services
provided under such agreement. Under the Exclusive Services Agreements regarding several Consolidated Entities, the PRC Subsidiary has
additional right to designate a third-party to provide such technology consulting and services.
(2) Both parties agree to calculate and pay the fees for exclusive technology consulting and services (the “Fee”) in accordance with the Exclusive
Services Agreement. Under the Exclusive Services Agreements entered into by and between several PRC Subsidiaries and their corresponding
Consolidated Entities, the PRC Subsidiary is entitled to adjust and amend the method of calculation and payment from time to time at its sole
discretion without the consent of the Consolidated Entity. In addition, the Consolidated Entity’s shareholder(s) shall pledge the equity interests of
the Consolidated Entity in favor of the PRC Subsidiary for securing the payment of the Fees under such agreement.
(3)
The PRC Subsidiary shall be the sole owner of any intellectual property obtained through the research and development by the PRC Subsidiary
and any derivative rights arising from the performance of this Agreement or any other agreement reached by both parties, including, but not
limited to, patent
1
application rights, copyrights or other intellectual property rights of the software, technical documents and materials and the right to license or
transfer such intellectual properties, etc. During the term of the Exclusive Services Agreement, if the Consolidated Entity needs to use the PRC
Subsidiary’s software program, system or other intellectual properties, both parties shall sign a separate agreement to specify the scope, method
and fee of such license. Under the Exclusive Services Agreements regarding several Consolidated Entities, the Consolidated Entity shall ensure
that the intellectual property obtained pursuant to such Exclusive Services Agreement shall not infringe any third party’s intellectual property or
other legal rights.
(4) Under some Exclusive Services Agreements, the agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term until the term of business of one party expires
and extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities. For other Exclusive Services Agreements, the agreement will be in effect for a long
period of time, such as 10 years or 20 years, and will be extended at the sole discretion of the PRC Subsidiary.
2
Exhibit 4.11
•
Operation Agreement
Parties:
(1) An applicable PRC Subsidiary;
(2)
(3)
an applicable Consolidated Entity; and
each shareholder(s) of such Consolidated Entity (each a “Nominee Shareholder”).
Key Terms:
(1)
(2)
Subject to compliance with the relevant provisions under the Operation Agreement by the Consolidated Entity, the PRC Subsidiary agrees, to be a
guarantor of the Consolidated Entity in relation to the Consolidated Entity’s due performance of its obligations under the contracts, agreements or
transactions entered into between such Consolidated Entity and any third party in connection with the Consolidated Entity’s business and
operations. As counter-guarantee, the Consolidated Entity agrees to pledge all the accounts receivable generated in its operations and mortgage all
of its assets in favor of the PRC Subsidiary. In furtherance of the aforesaid guarantee arrangement, the PRC Subsidiary may, to the extent as
necessary, enter into a written guarantee contract with the creditor of the Consolidated Entity to specify the surety obligation of the PRC
Subsidiary. The Consolidated Entity and the Nominee Shareholder(s) shall take all necessary actions to carry out the counter-guarantee
arrangement with the PRC Subsidiary, including, but not limited to, executing the relevant documents and filing the relevant registrations.
In consideration of the requirements of item (1) above and to ensure the performance of the various business agreements between the PRC
Subsidiary and the Consolidated Entity and the payment by the Consolidated Entity of the amounts payable to the PRC Subsidiary thereunder, the
Consolidated Entity and the Nominee Shareholder(s) jointly and severally agree that, without the PRC Subsidiary’s prior written consent, the
Consolidated Entity shall not engage in any transaction that may materially affect its assets, liabilities, rights or operations (except that the
Consolidated Entity may, in the ordinary course of its business, enter into business contracts or agreements, sell or purchase assets and create liens
in favor of relevant counter parties as required by law.), including, but not limited to, the following:
(i)
(ii)
To borrow money from any third party or assume any debt;
To sell to or acquire from any third party any asset or rights, including, but not limited to, any intellectual property rights;
(iii)
To provide guarantee for any third party with its assets or intellectual property rights as collaterals;
1
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
To assign to any third party its business contracts;
To change or remove any director or senior management officer of the Consolidated Entity; or
To conduct any business activities out of the ordinary business course of the Consolidated Entity.
(3)
In order to ensure the performance of the various business agreements between the PRC Subsidiary and the Consolidated Entity and the payment
by the Consolidated Entity of the amounts payable to the PRC Subsidiary thereunder, the Consolidated Entity and the Nominee Shareholder(s)
jointly and severally agree to accept advices and guidance provided by the PRC Subsidiary from time to time relating to its corporate governance,
such as employment and dismissal of employees, appointment and removal of any director or other senior management officer, daily operations
and management, and financial management.
(4) Under some Operation Agreements, the agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term until the term of business of one party expires and
extension is denied by the relevant approval authorities. For other Exclusive Services Agreements, the agreement will be in effect for a long period
of time, such as 10 years or 20 years, and will be extended at the sole discretion of the PRC Subsidiary.
2
•
Proxy Agreement/Power of Attorney
To effectuate the proxy arrangement regarding the shareholder rights of the Nominee Shareholders, the relevant parties entered into a specific proxy
agreement, or the Nominee Shareholder(s) issued a power of attorney to the PRC Subsidiary.
Exhibit 4.13
A.
Proxy Agreement
Parties:
(1)
(2)
(3)
An Offshore Holding Company or its applicable PRC Subsidiary (as applicable) (for the purpose of the Proxy Agreement, the “Authorized
Party”);
the Nominee Shareholder(s) of the applicable Consolidated Entity (for the purpose of the Proxy Agreement, the “Authorizer”); and
the Consolidated Entity itself, which is a signing party to the Exclusive Option Agreement regarding certain Consolidated Entities.
Key Terms:
(1)
The Authorizer agrees to irrevocably entrust the person designated by the Authorized Party to exercise on his/her/its behalf all
shareholder’s voting rights and other shareholder’s rights at the shareholders’ meeting of the applicable Consolidated Entity in accordance
with PRC law and such Consolidated Entity’s articles of association, including, but not limited to, with respect to (i) the sale or transfer of
all or part of the Authorizer’s equity interests in such Consolidated Entity, (ii) convening, attending and holding shareholders’ meetings of
such Consolidated Entity, (iii) the appointment and election of the directors (or the executive director), supervisor, manager and other
senior management officer of such Consolidated Entity, (iv) reviewing and approving the profit distribution scheme and loss recovery
scheme of such Consolidated Entity, (v) adoption of the merger with any other entity, separation, liquidation or change of the corporation
form of such Consolidated Entity, (vi) approval of the business and investment plan of such Consolidated Entity, (vii) amendment to such
Consolidated Entity’s articles of association, and (viii) supervising the operation, putting forward the advice and inquiries, accessing and
copying the corporate documents of the Consolidated Entity (including, among others, such Consolidated Entity’s articles of association,
shareholders resolutions, financial documents and business files).
(2)
The Authorized Party agrees to designate a person to accept the entrustment by the Authorizer pursuant to the Proxy Agreement, and such
person shall represent the Authorizer in the exercise of such Authorizer’s voting rights and other shareholder rights pursuant to the Proxy
Agreement.
(3)
The Authorizer acknowledges that, regardless of the change of his/her equity
1
interests in the Company, he/she/it shall entrust the person designated by the Authorized Party with all of his/her/its voting rights and other
shareholder rights.
(4)
(5)
The Authorizer acknowledges that if the Authorized Party withdraws the appointment of the relevant person to whom the Authorizer has
entrusted his/her voting rights and other shareholder rights, such Authorizer will withdraw his/her authorization for this person and
authorize other persons designated by the Authorized Party to exercise his/her/its voting rights and other shareholder’s rights at the
shareholders’ meeting of the Consolidated Entity.
Under some of the Proxy Agreements, the Authorized Party may request the Authorizer to issue a separate power of attorney to further set
forth the above authorization.
(6)
The Proxy Agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term as long as the Authorizer holds any equity interest in the Consolidated Entity.
B.
Power of Attorney
Shareholder(s) of certain Consolidated Entities issued a Power of Attorney which was accepted by the applicable PRC Subsidiary and acknowledged by
such Consolidated Entity.
Parties:
(1)
(2)
(3)
the applicable Consolidated Entity;
the Nominee Shareholder(s) of such Consolidated Entity (for the purpose of the Power of Attorney, the “Authorizer”); and
the applicable PRC Subsidiary (for the purpose of the Power of Attorney, the “Authorized Party”).
Key Terms:
(1)
The Authorized Party is authorized, as the Authorizer’s sole and exclusive agent and attorney, to act on behalf of such Authorizer with
respect to all rights and matters concerning the equity interests such Authorizer holds in the Consolidated Entity that (the “Authorizer’s
Equity Interest”), including without limitation to: (i) convening and attending shareholders’ meetings of the Consolidated Entity;
(ii) exercising all of the shareholder’s rights and shareholder’s voting rights that the Authorizer is entitled to under the laws of China and
the articles of association of such Consolidated Entity; (iii) handling the sale, transfer, pledge or disposition of the Authorizer’s Equity
Interest (in part or in whole), including without limitation executing all necessary equity transfer documents and other documents for
disposal of the Authorizer’s Equity Interest and fulfilling all necessary procedures; (iv) representing the Authorizer in executing any
resolutions and minutes as a shareholder (and a director) of
2
such Consolidated Entity; (v) nominating, electing, designating, appointing or removing on behalf of such Authorizer the legal
representative, directors, supervisors, general managers, chief executive officer and other senior management members of such
Consolidated Entity; and (vi) approving the amendments to the company’s articles of association. Without written consent by the
Authorized Party, the Authorizer has no right to increase, decrease, transfer, pledge, or by any other manner to dispose or change the
Authorizer’s Equity Interest.
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
The Authorized Party shall have the power and authority to, on behalf of the Authorizer, execute all and any supplementary agreements,
ancillary documents, modifications, and/or amended and restated versions in relation to the contractual arrangements, by and among the
Authorized Party, the Consolidated Entity and/or the Authorizer, and any documents and agreements the Authorizer shall sign as required
in the aforesaid contractual arrangements (including without limitation the “Equity Transfer Contract” as required under the Exclusive
Option Agreement (as defined below)), and perform the obligations under the aforesaid contractual arrangements.
All the actions associated with the Authorizer’s Equity Interest conducted by the Authorized Party shall be deemed as such Authorizer’s
own actions, and all the documents related to the Authorizer Equity Interest executed by the Authorized Party shall be deemed to be
executed by such Authorizer. The Authorizer shall acknowledge and ratify the actions taken by the Authorized Party and the documents
executed by the Authorized Party in relation to the Authorizer’s Equity Interest.
The Authorizer agrees that the Authorized Party has the right to re-authorize or assign one or multiple matters and its rights related to such
matters under the Power of Attorney to any other person or entity at its own discretion and without obtaining the prior consent of the
Authorizer. If required by PRC laws, the Authorized Party shall designate a qualified PRC citizen to handle such matters and exercise such
rights as set forth in the Power of Attorney.
In the Power of Attorneys regarding certain Consolidated Entity, the Authorizer covenants to, during the terms of the Power of Attorney
and subject to the PRC laws, return and deliver the share dividend and any other assets that he/she/it receives from the distribution of the
Consolidated Entity within three (3) days after he/she/it receives such proceeds and assets.
(6)
The Proxy Agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term as long as the Authorizer holds any equity interest in the Consolidated Entity.
3
Exhibit 4.14
•
Equity Pledge Agreement
Parties:
(1)
(2)
(3)
an applicable PRC Subsidiary (for the purpose of the Equity Interest Agreement, the “Pledgee”);
each Nominee Shareholder of an applicable Consolidated Entity (for the purpose of the Equity Interest Agreement, the “Pledger”); and
the corresponding Consolidated Entity is an additional signing party in some cases.
Key Terms:
(1)
Each Pledger agrees to pledge all of his/her/its equity interest (the “Equity Interest”) in the Consolidated Entity in favor of the Pledgee as
security for (i) his/her/its obligations under the Loan Agreement (if applicable) and (ii) the Consolidated Entity’s obligations under the Exclusive
Services Agreement, the Exclusive Option Agreement and/or the Operation Agreement (as applicable).
(2)
The Pledge shall take effect as of the date when the pledge of the Equity Interest is registered with the competent market regulation authorities.
(3) During the term of the Pledge, the Pledgee shall be entitled to enforce the right of Equity Interest pledge in accordance with the Equity Pledge
Agreement and the applicable laws in the case of an event of default.
(4) During the effective term of the Equity Pledge Agreement, the Pledgor shall deliver the physical possession of his/her/its original certificate of
capital contribution and the register of shareholders of the Consolidated Entity to the Pledgee. The Pledgee shall be entitled to collect the
dividends for the Equity Interest.
(5) During the effective term of the Equity Pledge Agreement, the Pledgor covenants to the Pledgee as follows, among others:
(i)
(ii)
he/she/it must not transfer or assign any pledged Equity Interest, or create or permit the existence of any other pledges which may have an
adverse effect on the rights or benefits of the Pledgee without prior written consent of the Pledgee;
he/she/it must furnish the Pledgee with all the governmental notices, orders or instruction with respect to the pledge as contemplated under
the Equity Pledge Agreement and comply with such notices, orders or suggestions or, alternatively, at the reasonable request of the Pledgee
or with consent from the Pledgee, raise objection to such notices, orders or suggestions; and
1
(iii)
he/she/it must timely notify the Pledgee of every event and notice he/she/it receives (x) which may affect the Pledgor’s right to all or any
part of the pledged Equity Interest, or (y) which may change the Pledgor’s warranties and obligations under the Equity Pledge Agreement
or affect the Pledgor’s performance of its obligations thereunder.
(6)
Each of the following events, among others, constitutes an event of default under the Equity Pledge Agreement:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
the Pledgor fails to perform his/her/its obligations under the Loan Agreement, the Operation Agreement, the Exclusive Option Agreement
and/or Exclusive Services Agreement (as applicable);
the Consolidated Entity fails to pay any service fee under the Exclusive Services Agreement;
any representation or warranty made by the Pledgor under the Equity Pledge Agreement is misleading or incorrect, or the Pledgor breaches
any of such representation or warranty;
the Pledgor breaches his/her/its covenants under the Equity Pledge Agreement;
the Pledgor waives, relinquishes, transfers or assigns any pledged Equity Interest without prior written consent of the Pledgee; and
the Consolidated Entity is incapable of repaying debts.
2
•
Exclusive Equity Purchase Option Agreement (the “Exclusive Option Agreement”)
Parties:
Exhibit 4.15
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
an Offshore Holding Company (if applicable), which is a signing party to the Exclusive Option Agreement regarding some Consolidated Entities;
an applicable PRC Subsidiary;
an applicable Consolidated Entity; and
each Nominee Shareholder of such Consolidated Entity.
Key Terms:
(1)
(2)
(3)
Each Nominee Shareholder irrevocably grants to the Offshore Holding Company or its applicable PRC Subsidiary (as applicable) (the “Option
Right Holder”) an exclusive option to purchase or cause any one or more designated persons (the “Designated Persons”) to purchase at any time
from the Nominee Shareholder, to the extent permitted under PRC law, a portion of, or all of, the equity interests held by such Nominee
Shareholder in the Consolidated Entity according to the steps determined by the Option Right Holder and at the price specified in such Exclusive
Option Agreement (the “Option”).
Subject to PRC law and regulations, the Option Right Holder and/or the Designated Persons may exercise the Option by issuing a written notice
(the “Notice”) to the Nominee Shareholder, specifying the equity interest to be purchased from the Nominee Shareholder (the “Purchased Equity
Interest”) and the manner of such purchase.
(i) Under the Exclusive Option Agreements of certain Consolidated Entities, the purchase price of the Purchased Equity Interest (the “Purchase
Price”) shall be equal to the consideration actually paid by the Nominee Shareholder for acquiring such Purchased Equity Interest or the principal
amount of the loan(s) provided by the PRC Subsidiary under the Loan Agreement (as applicable), unless then applicable PRC laws and regulations
require another price based on appraisal value of the Purchased Equity Interest or imposes other restrictions on determination of the Purchase
price. If the applicable PRC laws require an appraisal of the Purchased Equity Interest or stipulate other restrictions on the Purchase Price at the
time of the Offshore Holding Company’s exercise of the Option, the Parties agree that the Purchase Price shall be the lowest price as permitted by
the applicable law; (ii) however, under the Exclusive Option Agreements of other Consolidated Entities, the Purchase Price shall be free or the
lowest price as permitted by the applicable law.
1
(4)
The manner of payment of the Purchase Price shall be determined through negotiations between the Option Right Holder (and/or the Designated
Persons) and the Nominee Shareholder at the time of exercise of the Option. Subject to applicable laws, the Nominee Shareholder shall return to
the Option Right Holder and/or the Designated Persons all the consideration he/she/it receives from the Option Right Holder and/or the
Designated Persons in connection with the Purchased Equity Interest. If a Loan Agreement is signed as a part of the contractual agreement, the
Nominee Shareholder shall effectuate such return by applying the entire consideration to repay the principal amount, interest accrued thereon and
any conditional lending cost of the loan under the Loan Agreement.
(5)
The Nominee Shareholder and the Consolidated Entity shall jointly and severally covenant not to undertake, among others, any of the following
actions without the prior written consent of the Option Right Holder:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
to supplement, amend or modify the Consolidated Entity’s articles of association in any way, or to increase or decrease the registered
capital of the Consolidated Entity, or to change the shareholding structure of the Consolidated Entity in any manner;
to sell, transfer, mortgage or otherwise dispose of, or permit any other security interest to be created on, any of the Consolidated Entity’s
assets, business or legal or beneficial interests in the revenue of the Consolidated Entity;
to create, assume or guarantee any liability, except for (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business, excluding loans; and
(ii) liabilities as disclosed to and approved by the Option Right Holder in writing;
to merge or consolidate with, or acquire or invest in, any entity;
to distribute dividends to the Consolidated Entity’s shareholders in any way, except the case where the Consolidated Entity shall promptly
distribute all or part of its distributable profits to its shareholders upon the Option Right Holder’s request; and
(vi)
to approve any voluntary dissolution or winding up of the Consolidated Entity.
(6)
The Nominee Shareholder covenants not to undertake, among others, any of the following actions without the prior written consent of the Option
Right Holder:
(i)
(ii)
to sell, transfer, mortgage or otherwise dispose of, or allow any other security interest to be created on, the legal or beneficial interest
he/she/it holds in the Consolidated Entity at any time during the term of the Exclusive Option Agreement, other than the pledge created on
the Consolidated Entity’s equity interest in accordance with the Equity Pledge Agreement;
to vote for or sign any shareholders’ resolution at the Consolidated Entity’s shareholders’ meetings to approve the sale, transfer, mortgage
or disposition in any other manner of, or the creation of any other security interest on, any legal or beneficial interest that the Nominee
Shareholder holds in the Consolidated Entity, except for the benefit of the Option Right Holder or its designated persons;
2
(7)
(8)
(iii)
to vote for or sign any shareholders’ resolution at the Consolidated Entity’s shareholders’ meetings to approve the Consolidated Entity’s
merger or consolidation with, acquisition of or investment in, any entity.
Each Nominal Shareholder undertakes to (i) procure the shareholders’ meeting of the Consolidated Entity to approve the transfer of the Purchased
Equity Interest pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Exclusive Option Agreement; and (ii) waive all his/her/its right of first refusal (if any)
with respect to the equity interest transfer between other Nominal Shareholder(s) and the PRC Subsidiary (or the Offshore Holding Company) as
contemplated under the Exclusive Option Agreement.
The Exclusive Option Agreement will be in effect for an unlimited term until all equity interests held by the Nominal Shareholder in the
Consolidated Entity have been transferred or assigned to the Option Right Holder and/or Designated Persons in accordance with this Exclusive
Option Agreement.
3
Exhibit 4.16
•
Loan Agreement
In addition to the above agreements, the contractual agreements with respect to some Consolidated Entities also include a loan agreement with the
principal terms and conditions as below.
Parties:
(1)
(2)
an applicable PRC Subsidiary (for the purpose of the Loan Agreement, the “Lender”); and
the Nominee Shareholder(s) of an applicable Consolidated Entity (for the purpose of the Loan Agreement, the “Borrower”).
Key Terms:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
The Lender agrees to provide to the Borrower, and the Borrower agrees to accept a loan one time or loans by installments with a certain principal
amount in RMB in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement.
The loan shall be only used by the Borrower for acquiring the equity interest in the Consolidated Entity.
The term of the loan commences from the date when the Borrower receives the loan until ten (10) years after the execution of the Loan Agreement
and may be renewed upon written agreement of the parties thereto.
If any of the following events occurs, the Lender may, by serving a written notice to the Borrower, demand that the loan under the Loan
Agreement should become due and payable immediately and the Borrower should immediately repay the loan in the manner as specified in the
Loan Agreement:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
The Borrower resigns from or is dismissed by the Lender or its affiliates;
The Borrower dies or becomes a person without capacity or with limited capacity for civil acts;
The Borrower commits a crime or is involved in a crime;
Any other third party claims more than a specific amount against the Borrower;
Any representations or warranties are proved untrue when such representations or warranties were made by the Borrower or contains any
error(s) in any material aspects; or the Borrower breaches any of such representation or warranty; or
Subject to PRC laws, the Lender has notified the Borrower and/or the Consolidated Entity in writing of exercising its purchase option in
accordance with the Exclusive Option Agreement.
1
(5) Both parties agree and confirm that, if at the time of the Lender’s exercise of the purchase option under the Exclusive Option Agreement, the
lowest purchase price permitted under the then applicable laws and regulations is higher than the original investment price actually paid by the
Borrower, the purchase price to exercise the option shall be such lowest price permitted by the applicable law. Both parties agree to execute an
Exclusive Option Agreement to specify the above matters.
(6) Both parties agree and confirm that the Nominee Shareholder must repay the loan only in the following manner: if permitted by PRC laws, the
Borrower or its successor or assign shall transfer the equity interests in the Consolidated Entity to the Offshore Holding Company/Lender or its
designated persons and use the proceeds from such transfer to repay the loan(s) which has been provided to the Nominee Shareholder actually,
when such loan(s) is due and the Lender gives a written notice.
(7)
The Borrower, among others, covenants that:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
He/she/it must not sell, transfer, pledge or otherwise dispose in any other manner of his/her/its equity or other interests in the Consolidated
Entity, or allow the creation of other security interests thereon, without the Lender’s prior written consent, except for equity pledges or
other rights created for the benefit of the Lender;
He/she/it must not vote for at shareholder’s meetings of the Consolidated Entity or execute any shareholders’ resolutions approving the
sale, transfer, pledge, disposition in any other manner, or the creation of any other security interest on, any legal or beneficial interest in the
equity of the Consolidated Entity without the Lender’s prior written consent, except for those for the benefit of the Lender or its designated
persons;
He/she/it must not vote for at shareholder’s meetings of the Consolidated Entity or execute any shareholders’ resolutions approving the
Consolidated Entity to merge or combine with, acquire or invest in any entity without the Lender’s prior written consent;
He/she/it must promptly inform the Lender of any pending or threatened litigation, arbitration or regulatory proceeding concerning the
equity interests of the Consolidated Entity; and
He/she/it must not commit any act or omission that may materially affect the assets, business and liabilities of the Consolidated Entity
without the Lender’s prior written consent;
He/she/it must procure the Consolidated Entity to maintain and operate its business and deal with matters prudently and effectively, in
accordance with good financial and business rules and practices
(8)
The Borrower further covenants that he/she/it shall cause the Consolidated Entity not to engage in any of the following actions without the
Lender’s prior written consent:
2
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
To supply, amend or modify its articles of association, or to increase or decrease its registered capital, or to change its capital structure in
any way;
To sell, transfer, mortgage, dispose of in any other manner, or to create other security interest on, any of its assets, business or the legal or
beneficial right to its revenues;
To create, assume, guarantee or permit any liability, except for (i) liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business, excluding loans;
and (ii) liabilities as disclosed to and approved by the Lender in writing; and
To distribute dividends to its shareholders in any form, except for the case where the Consolidated Entity shall promptly distributable all its
distributable profits to each of its shareholders upon the Lender’s request.
3
List of Principal Subsidiaries and Consolidated Affiliated Entities
Exhibit 8.1
Subsidiaries:
Baidu Holdings Limited — Incorporated in the British Virgin Islands
Baidu (Hong Kong) Limited — Incorporated in Hong Kong
Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Baidu (China) Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Baidu.com Times Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Baidu International Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
iQIYI, Inc. — Incorporated in the Cayman Islands
Beijing QIYI Century Science & Technology Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Baidu Cloud Computing Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Beijing Duyou Information Technology Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Consolidated Affiliated Entities:
Beijing Baidu Netcom Science Technology Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Beijing Perusal Technology Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Beijing iQIYI Science & Technology Co., Ltd. — Incorporated in the PRC
Exhibit 12.1
Certification by the Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Robin Yanhong Li, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Baidu, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the company and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the
annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Date: March 28, 2022
/s/ Robin Yanhong Li
By:
Name: Robin Yanhong Li
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Exhibit 12.2
Certification by the Principal Financial Officer
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
I, Rong Luo, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 20-F of Baidu, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The company’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f))
for the company and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision,
to ensure that material information relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities,
particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external
purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by the
annual report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The company’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
to the company’s auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent function):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Date: March 28, 2022
/s/ Rong Luo
By:
Name: Rong Luo
Title:
Chief Financial Officer
Certification by the Principal Executive Officer
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Exhibit 13.1
In connection with the Annual Report of Baidu, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Robin Yanhong Li, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant
to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the
Company.
Date: March 28, 2022
/s/ Robin Yanhong Li
By:
Name: Robin Yanhong Li
Title:
Chief Executive Officer
Certification by the Principal Financial Officer
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Exhibit 13.2
In connection with the Annual Report of Baidu, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Rong Luo, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18
U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to my knowledge:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the
Company.
Date: March 28, 2022
/s/ Rong Luo
By:
Name: Rong Luo
Title:
Chief Financial Officer
[Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP Letterhead]
Exhibit 15.1
Baidu, Inc.
Baidu Campus
No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street
Haidian District, Beijing 100085
The People’s Republic of China
28 March 2022
Dear Sirs
Baidu, Inc.
We consent to the reference to our firm under the heading “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—Cayman Islands Tax Considerations” and
“Item 16G. Corporate Governance” in Baidu Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2021 (the “Annual Report”), which
will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in the month of March 2022, and further consent to the incorporation by
reference into the Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8
No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2008 Share Incentive Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-232429) pertaining to Baidu Inc.’s
2018 Share Incentive Plan, Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-249314), and Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-254035) of Baidu, Inc.
of the summary of our opinion under the heading “Item 10.E. Additional Information—Taxation—Cayman Islands Tax Considerations” and “Item 16G.
Corporate Governance” in the Annual Report. We also consent to the filing with the SEC of this consent letter as an exhibit to the Annual Report.
In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Yours faithfully,
/s/ Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP
Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP
[Han Kun Law Offices Letterhead]
Exhibit 15.2
March 28, 2022
Baidu, Inc.
Baidu Campus
No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street
Haidian District, Beijing
People’s Republic of China 100085
Dear Sir/Madam:
We hereby consent to the reference of our name under the heading “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations” in
Baidu, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Annual Report”), which will be filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in the month of March 2022, and further consent to the incorporation by reference into the Registration Statement
(Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s
2008 Share Incentive Plan, Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-232429) pertaining to Baidu Inc.’s 2018 Share Incentive Plan, Registration
Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-249314), and Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-254035) of Baidu, Inc. of the summary of our opinion under the
heading “Item 4.B. Information on the Company—Business Overview—Regulations” in the Annual Report. We also consent to the filing of this consent
letter with the SEC as an exhibit to the Annual Report.
In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, in each case, as amended, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Han Kun Law Offices
Han Kun Law Offices
Exhibit 15.3
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
(1) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-129374) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2000 Option Plan,
(2) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-158678) pertaining to Baidu, Inc.’s 2008 Share Incentive Plan,
(3) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-232429) pertaining to Baidu Inc.’s 2018 Share Incentive Plan,
(4) Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-249314) of Baidu, Inc., and
(5) Registration Statement (Form F-3 No. 333-254035) of Baidu, Inc.
of our reports dated March 28, 2022, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Baidu, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting of Baidu, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 20-F) of Baidu, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2021.
/s/ Ernst & Young Hua Ming LLP
Beijing, The People’s Republic of China
March 28, 2022