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Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Loss Contingency [Abstract]  
CONTINGENCIES

15. CONTINGENCIES

 

China maintains a “closed” capital account, meaning companies, banks, and individuals cannot move money in or out of the country except in accordance with strict rules. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) and State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) regulate the flow of foreign exchange in and out of the country. For inward or outward foreign currency transactions, the Company needs to make a timely declaration to the bank with sufficient supporting documents to declare the nature of the business transaction. The Company’s sales, purchases and expense transactions are denominated in RMB and all of the Company’s assets and liabilities are also denominated in RMB. The RMB is not freely convertible into foreign currencies under the current law. Remittances in currencies other than RMB may require certain supporting documentation in order to make the remittance.

 

The Company’s operations in the PRC are subject to specific considerations and significant risks not typically associated with companies in North America and Western Europe. These include risks associated with, among others, the political, economic and legal environments and foreign currency exchange. The Company’s results may be adversely affected by changes in governmental policies with respect to laws and regulations, anti-inflationary measures, currency conversion and remittance abroad, and rates and methods of taxation, among other things.  

 

Litigation 

 

In November 2019, Beijing Hongyuan Recycling Energy Investment Center, or Hongyuan, filed a lawsuit with the Beijing Intermediate People’s Court against Xi’an TCH to compel Xi’an TCH to repurchase certain stock pursuant to a stock repurchase option agreement. On April 9, 2021, the court rendered a judgment in favor of Hongyuan. Xi 'an TCH filed a motion for retrial to High People's Court of Beijing on April 13, 2022, because Xi’an TCH paid RMB 267 million to Hongyuan as an out-of-court settlement. On April 11, 2022, Xi 'an Zhonghong New Energy Technology Co. Ltd., filed an application for retrial and provided relevant evidence to the Beijing High People's Court on the Civil Judgment No. 264., awaiting trial. On August 10, 2022, Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing issued a Certificate of Active Performance, proving that Xi 'an Zhonghong New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. had fulfilled its buyback obligations. On April 9, 2021, Xi’an TCH, Xi’an Zhonghong, Guohua Ku, Chonggong Bai and HYREF entered a Termination of Fulfillment Agreement (termination agreement). Under the termination agreement, the original buyback agreement entered on December 19, 2019 was terminated upon signing of the termination agreement. HYREF will not execute the buy-back option and will not ask for any additional payment from the buyers other than keeping the CDQ WHPG station.

 

In February 2016, Xuzhou Intermediate People's Court of Jiangsu Province, or the Xuzhou Court, accepted an execution proceeding request from Zhongrong International Trust Co. Ltd., or Zhongrong, against Mr. Guohua Ku, Xi’an TCH, Xuzhou Taifate Steel Co., Ltd., or Xuzhou Taifate, to satisfy the obligation arising out of a loan agreement and guarantee agreement among the parties. On March 21, 2018 and March 20, 2019, the Xuzhou Court ordered a deduction from the bank accounts of Mr. Ku and Xi’an TCH of RMB 371,470 and RMB 254,824, respectively. On August 21, 2020, the Xuzhou Court reopened the case in response to Zhongrong’s request against Xuzhou Taifa for the resolution of an additional loan of RMB 145,356,100, which was paid in full in settlement. The Xuzhou Court concluded the case on December 21, 2020.