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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

Date of event requiring this shell company report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Commission file number: 000-50841

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

* Not for trading but only in connection with the listing of American depositary shares, or ADSs, on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC. The ADSs are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to a registration statement on Form F-6. Accordingly, the ADSs are exempt from registration under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to Rule 12a-8 thereunder. Each ADS represents the right to receive one common share of the Registrant.

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:  None

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Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:  None

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: 61,853,004 common shares, par value US$0.0001 per share.

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

x Yes   o No

If this 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.

o Yes   x 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.

x Yes   o No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files).

x Yes   o 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,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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. o

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

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

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.

o Item 17   o 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).

o Yes   x 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.

o Yes   o No

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INTRODUCTION

Unless otherwise indicated, references in this annual report to:

·                      “ADRs” are to the American depositary receipts that evidence our ADSs;

·                      “ADSs” are to our American depositary shares, each of which represents one common share;

·                      “China” or the “PRC” are to the People’s Republic of China, excluding for the purpose of this annual report Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan;

·                      “RMB” are to Renminbi, the legal currency of the PRC;

·                      “shares” or “common shares” are to our common shares, with par value US$0.0001 per share;

·                      “U.S. GAAP” are to the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America; and

·                      “US$” are to U.S. dollars, the legal currency of the United States of America.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, “we,” “us,” “our company,” “our” and “51job” refer to 51job, Inc., its predecessor entities and subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing our operations, also include our affiliated entities.

In addition, unless otherwise indicated, references in this annual report to:

·                      “51net” are to 51net.com Inc.;

·                      “AdCo” are to Shanghai Qianjin Advertising Co., Ltd.;

·                      “Qian Cheng” are to Beijing Qian Cheng Si Jin Advertising Co., Ltd.;

·                      “Run An” are to Beijing Run An Information Consultancy Co., Ltd.;

·                      “Tech JV” are to Qianjin Network Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.;

·                      “WFOE” are to Qian Cheng Wu You Network Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.; and

·                      “Wuhan AdCo” are to Wuhan Mei Hao Qian Cheng Advertising Co., Ltd.

Any discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.

This annual report contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollar amounts at specified rates solely for your convenience. All translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at the noon buying rate in New York for cable transfers of Renminbi as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which was RMB6.5063 to US$1.00 on December 29, 2017, as set forth in the Federal Reserve Board’s H.10 Statistical Release. For further information on exchange rates, see “Item 3. — Key Information — Selected Financial Data — Exchange Rate Information.”

This annual report on Form 20-F includes our audited consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and audited consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2016 and 2017.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This annual report on Form 20-F contains statements of a forward-looking nature. These statements are made within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “is/are likely to,” “expect,” “intend,” “aim,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this annual report relate to, among others:

·                      market acceptance of our services;

·                      our ability to expand into other recruitment and human resource services such as business process outsourcing;

·                      our ability to control our operating costs and expenses;

·                      our potential need for additional capital and the availability of such capital;

·                      behavioral and operational changes of our customers in meeting their human resource needs as they respond to evolving social, economic, regulatory and political changes in China as well as stock market volatilities;

·                      changes in our management team and other key personnel;

·                      introduction by our competitors of new or enhanced products and services;

·                      price competition in the market for the various human resource services that we provide in China;

·                      seasonality of our business;

·                      fluctuations in the value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies;

·                      our ability to develop or introduce new products and services outside of the human resources industry;

·                      acquisitions or investments we have made or will make in the future; and

·                      fluctuations in general economic conditions in China and globally.

You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. You should read these statements in conjunction with the risks disclosed in “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors” of this annual report and other risks outlined in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. Those risks are not exhaustive. Moreover, we operate in an emerging and evolving environment. New risks may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of such risks on our business or the extent to which any risk, or combination of risks, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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PART I

ITEM 1.                                    IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2.                                    OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3.                                    KEY INFORMATION

A.                Selected Financial Data

The following tables present the selected consolidated financial information for our company. The selected consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2015, 2016 and 2017, and the selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2016 and 2017, are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income data for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, and the selected consolidated balance sheets data as of December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are not included in this annual report. You should read the following information in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report and “Item 5. — Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The historical results presented below do not necessarily indicate results expected for any future period.

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(1)             Share-based compensation was included in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income data as follows:

Exchange Rate Information

We publish our financial statements in Renminbi. This annual report contains translations of certain Renminbi amounts into U.S. dollars at specified rates solely for your convenience. All translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at the noon buying rate in New York for cable transfers of Renminbi as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which was RMB6.5063 to US$1.00 on December 29, 2017, as set forth in the Federal Reserve Board’s H.10 Statistical Release. The noon buying rate on March 23, 2018 was RMB6.3110 to US$1.00. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this annual report could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate, the rates stated below, or at all. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment” and “— The fluctuation of the Renminbi may materially and adversely affect your investment” as well as “Item 11. — Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Exchange Risk” for discussions on our foreign exchange risk and the effects of currency control and fluctuating exchange rates on the value of our ADSs.

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The following table sets forth information regarding the noon buying rates for the periods indicated. The source of these rates is the Federal Reserve Board’s H.10 Statistical Release.

(1)             Annual averages are calculated from month-end rates. Monthly averages are calculated using the average of the daily rates during the relevant period.

B.                Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.                Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D.                Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Business

Because we face significant competition in all of our businesses, we may lose market share and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We face significant competition in our online recruitment services and our other human resource related services businesses. Our online recruitment services are conducted through several websites, led by our core 51job.com platform. These websites and their related mobile applications face intense competition from other dedicated job search websites such as www.zhaopin.com. There are also niche recruitment services providers that focus on particular industry verticals, such as technology and finance, or job seeker segments, such as new college graduates and high-end, experienced professionals.

Our other human resource related services face significant competition from a variety of Chinese and foreign firms in all of our markets, including certain firms that compete with us in the market for online recruitment services. In addition, some of the competitors we encounter in our business process outsourcing business are affiliated with local government agencies and have licenses to provide a wider range of services than we do. The competition in the training services market is currently highly fragmented and primarily made up of small, local training firms, but we could face increased competition should there be a consolidation of these training firms.

Many of our competitors or potential competitors have long operating histories, have international strategic partners, have local government sponsorship, may have greater financial, management, technological development, sales, marketing and other resources than we do, and may be able to adopt our business model. As a result of competition, we may experience reduced margins, loss of market share or less use of our services by job seekers and employers. We cannot assure you that existing or future competitors will not develop or offer services and products which provide significant performance, price, creative or other advantages over our services. If we are unable to compete effectively with current or future competitors as a result of these or other factors, our market share and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

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New competitors face low entry barriers to our industries, and successful entry by new competitors may cause us to lose market share and materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

In the future, we may face competition from new entrants in the recruitment advertising industry and other human resource industries in which we operate. We may face greater competition from Internet portals and search engines, dedicated recruitment advertising websites, professional and social networking platforms, online classified websites and other human resource services providers who may enter the market for any or all of our services. Our businesses are characterized by relatively low start-up and fixed costs, modest capital requirements, short start-up lead times and an absence of significant proprietary technology that would prevent or significantly inhibit new competitors. As a result, potential market entrants face relatively low barriers to entry to all of our businesses and could acquire significant numbers of corporate customers and individual users within a relatively short period of time. Increased competition could result in a loss of market share and revenues, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A slowdown or adverse development in the PRC economy may have a material and adverse impact on our customers, demand for our services and our business.

Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China and a significant majority of our revenues are generated from providing recruitment advertising services for PRC businesses or affiliates of foreign firms operating in China. The growth of the Chinese economy has slowed in recent years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, China’s gross domestic product growth has decreased from 7.7% in 2013 to 6.9% in 2017. 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. In an environment of slower economic growth or recession, employers may take actions such as hiring fewer permanent employees, engaging in hiring freezes, reducing the number of employees and curtailing spending on online recruitment services and other human resource related services. In addition, to the extent we offer credit to any customer and the customer experiences financial difficulties due to an economic slowdown, we could have difficulty collecting payment from the customer. If there are slowdowns or other adverse developments in China’s economic growth, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow may be materially and adversely affected.

If the use of online advertising to conduct recruitment does not achieve broader acceptance in China, we may be unable to expand our online recruitment business.

We generate a majority of our revenues from online recruitment services, which are targeted toward employers and job seekers who use the Internet. We believe that the use of online advertising services by employers for recruitment remains relatively low in China, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises. Other informal recruitment channels, such as job fairs, personal referrals and professional networks, are also commonly utilized by the private sector. We cannot assure you that online recruitment advertising will achieve broader acceptance in China. We face challenges in promoting greater use of online advertising, which involves, among other things, significant changes in the way that employers disseminate information about jobs, the way that prospective employees search and apply for jobs, and the way in which hiring decisions are made. In addition, while China is acknowledged to possess the largest online population in the world, the use of the Internet as a commercial medium has a short history, and China’s Internet penetration rate is low compared to most developed countries. Moreover, telecommunications capacity constraints may impede further development of the Internet to the extent that users experience delays, transmission errors and other difficulties. Any negative perceptions as to the effectiveness of online recruitment services, or online advertising in general, or any significant failure of the Internet to gain acceptance and trust as a medium for recruitment, may adversely affect our online recruitment services business and hinder our ability to expand this business.

The market for other human resource related services, including business process outsourcing, remains in the early development stage in China, and we may be unable to expand such existing services or successfully develop new services in this area.

We believe the market for other human resource related services, including business process outsourcing, is at an early stage of development in China. Many employers are unfamiliar with these services and may not accept the value proposition of these service offerings. Processing, tracking, collecting and remitting funds to the applicable regulatory agencies, employees and other third parties are complex operations, and many employers may not trust us with employee data or to make representations and cash payments on their behalf. As such, companies may not be willing to use our services for significant administrative functions and may instead choose to continue to perform such operations in-house.

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If we are unable to extend our nationwide capability, effectively monitor ongoing changes in PRC laws and regulations, acquire, develop and use up-to-date business and management technology and software, including advanced computer and technology systems that could require significant capital expenditures, and maintain the integrity and security of our systems and process flow, we may be unable to expand our business process outsourcing operations or gain wider customer acceptance for these services. In addition, we rely on a number of third party service providers, including couriers, agents and banks. Failure by these providers, for any reason, to deliver their services in a timely and accurate manner could result in significant disruptions to our business process outsourcing operations, impact our client relationships, harm our brand names and reputation, and result in significant penalties or liabilities to us.

In addition, as part of our strategy to be a “one-stop” human resource services provider, we cross-promote our other human resource related services among our online recruitment services customers from time to time. However, we cannot assure you that such cross-promotion strategy will be effective or generate revenues as we expect. Furthermore, we may decide to develop new services in the area of other human resource related services. We cannot assure you that we will be able to deliver new products or services on a commercially viable basis or in a timely manner, or at all. If any of our efforts to cross-promote, develop or operate new human resource related services are unsuccessful, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business process outsourcing services may be adversely impacted by changes in PRC regulations and policies. In addition, new and future government regulations may significantly increase the number of labor disputes, which may result in higher operating costs.

The PRC Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and its amendment which became effective on July 1, 2013, establishes restrictions and increases costs for employers, including specific provisions related to fixed-term employment contracts, temporary employment, probation, consultation with the labor union and employee assembly, employment without a contract, dismissal of employees, compensation upon termination and overtime work, and collective bargaining. The PRC Social Insurance Law, which became effective on July 1, 2011, specifies that the PRC establishes a social insurance system including basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance.

We provide business process outsourcing services for human resource administrative functions, in particular social insurance and benefits services, for employers. Our business process outsourcing services are designed to assist employers to be compliant with PRC regulations and policies that continually change. Changes in regulations could affect the extent and type of benefits employers are required to provide employees and the procedures, processes and documentation required by local government authorities to administer these benefits. Such changes could reduce or eliminate the need for some of our services. New or additional requirements could also increase our cost to provide our services and require us to undertake adjustments to our operating systems, processes and procedures. Any failure by us to be updated and knowledgeable on regulatory changes and to inform, educate and assist our clients regarding new or revised regulations that impact them could materially damage our brands and reputation. In addition, any failure by us to modify our business process outsourcing services in a timely fashion in response to regulatory changes could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

In addition, since the PRC Labor Contract Law became effective, we have observed an increase in the number of labor disputes between employers and workers relating to its interpretation and application. The resolution of such labor disputes may require significant costs and resources, including the time our personnel spend dealing with increased human resource administration and legal issues for which we may not be compensated. If we incur higher operating costs for our business process outsourcing business, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We may face greater risks of doubtful receivables as our business process outsourcing operations grow.

In providing our business process outsourcing services to enterprises, due to the difference in timing between cash receipts and remittances, we may receive from time to time short-term deposits and advances in client funds and/or make short-term prepayments on behalf of our customers to be reimbursed to us. As our business process outsourcing operations have grown, our receivables have increased. We cannot assure you that we will be able to collect payment or reimbursement fully, or in a timely manner, on receivables from our business processing outsourcing services customers. As a result, we may face a greater risk of non-payment of these receivables, and as our business process outsourcing operations increase in scale, we may need to make increased provisions for doubtful accounts. If we are unable to successfully manage our receivables, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.

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We are subject to potential legal liability from both employers and individuals with respect to the recruitment process and our business process outsourcing services.

We are exposed to potential claims associated with the recruitment process, including claims by clients seeking to hold us liable for recommending a candidate who subsequently proves to be unsuitable for the position filled, claims by current or previous employers of our candidates alleging interference with employment contracts, claims by candidates against us alleging our failure to maintain the confidentiality of their employment search or alleging discrimination or other violations of employment law or other laws or regulations by our clients, and claims by either employers or their employees alleging the failure of our business process outsourcing services to comply with laws or regulations relating to employment, employee’s insurance or benefits, individual income taxes or other matters. Any such claims, regardless of merit, may force us to participate in time-consuming, costly litigation or investigation, divert significant management and staff attention, and damage our reputation and brand names. We do not maintain insurance coverage for liabilities arising from claims by employers, employees, candidates or third parties.

If we are not able to respond successfully to technological or industry developments, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

The market for online products and services is characterized by rapid technological developments, frequent launches of new products and services, introductions of new business models, changes in customer needs and behavior, and evolving industry standards. If we fail to adapt our products to these developments, our existing online recruitment services may become less competitive or obsolete. For example, the number of people accessing the Internet through mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets and other hand-held devices, has increased in recent years, and we expect this trend to continue as more advanced mobile communications technologies are broadly implemented. In order to respond to new developments, we may be required to undertake substantial efforts and incur significant costs. In the event that we do not successfully respond to such developments in a timely and cost-effective manner, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Due to seasonal variations in demand for human resource services, we experience material fluctuations in our revenue streams which affect our ability to predict our quarterly results and which may also cause quarterly results to vary from period to period.

We experience material fluctuations in our revenue streams which affect our ability to predict quarterly results. For example, in the periods following the Chinese New Year holiday in the first quarter and the National Day holiday in October, we historically experience an increase in recruitment activity. During these peak periods, demand for recruitment advertising and other human resource related services may or may not rise significantly depending on the needs of employers as well as their perceptions of the job market. In addition, the Chinese New Year holiday is based on the lunar calendar, which varies from year to year and affects our first quarter results and their comparability to financial results of the same quarter in prior years. We have usually observed seasonal campus recruitment activity by employers in the fourth quarter of each year but also a general slowdown in overall recruitment activity at calendar year end. Due to these factors, our revenues may vary materially from quarter to quarter and quarterly results may not be comparable to the corresponding periods of prior years. Such uncertainty makes it difficult for us to predict revenues for a particular quarter. Therefore, actual results may differ significantly from our targets or estimated quarterly results, which could cause the price of our ADSs to fall.

We are dependent on our Internet service providers, and we are vulnerable to failures of the Internet, fixed line telecommunications networks in China and our technology platform.

Our online businesses, including the development of our websites and mobile applications, are heavily dependent on the performance and reliability of China’s Internet infrastructure, the continual accessibility of bandwidth and servers to our service providers’ networks, and the continuing performance, reliability and availability of our technology platform. The Internet infrastructure in China may not support the demands associated with continued growth in Internet use.

Almost all access to the Internet is maintained through state-owned telecommunications operators under the administrative control and regulatory supervision of the PRC Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT. In addition, the national networks in China connect to the Internet through a government-controlled international gateway. This international gateway is the only channel through which a domestic user can connect to the international Internet network.

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We rely on a limited number of telecommunications service providers to provide us with data communications capacity through local telecommunications lines and data centers to host our servers. We are unlikely to have any access to alternative networks or services in the event of disruptions, failures or other problems with China’s Internet infrastructure or the fixed line telecommunications networks provided by the telecommunications service providers. In addition, we have no control over the costs of the services provided by the telecommunications service providers. If they fail to provide these services, we would be required to seek other providers, and there is no assurance that we will be able to find alternative providers willing or able to provide high quality services and there is no assurance that such providers will not charge us higher prices for their services. If the prices that we are required to pay for Internet services rise significantly, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

If we are unable to protect or promote our brand names and reputation, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

If we fail to generate a high volume of recruitment advertisements, successfully promote and develop the perception of our websites and mobile applications as leading recruitment platforms, undertake effective marketing and promotional activities, and generally provide high quality services, we may not be successful in protecting or promoting our brand names and reputation in a cost-effective manner or at all. In addition, if job seeker profiles or recruitment advertisements on our websites and mobile applications are found to contain inaccurate or false information, the value proposition of our websites and mobile applications as leading online recruitment platforms may be weakened. Furthermore, we may be subject to claims by individuals and customers seeking to hold us liable for such inaccurate or false information. Any claims, regardless of merit, may force us to participate in time-consuming, costly litigation or investigation, divert significant management and staff attention, and damage our reputation and brand names. We may dedicate significantly greater resources in the future to advertising, marketing and other promotional efforts aimed at building awareness of our brands. Any significant damage to our reputation, the perceived quality or awareness of our brand names or services, or any significant failure on our part to promote and protect our brand names and reputation could make it more difficult for us to successfully attract job seekers, compete for customers or retain qualified personnel, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.

If we are unable to prevent others from using our intellectual property, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

Our intellectual property has been, and will continue to be, subject to various forms of theft and misappropriation. Competitors copy and distribute content from our websites and from the training materials that we use, and utilize misleadingly similar Internet domain names and URLs in an effort to divert Internet traffic away from our websites. We are also susceptible to others copying our business model and methods. The legal protection of trademarks, trade names, copyrighted material, domain names, trade secrets, know-how and other forms of intellectual property in the PRC is significantly more limited than in the United States and many other countries and may afford us little or no effective protection. Preventing unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult, time consuming and expensive. Misappropriation of our content, trademarks and other intellectual property could divert significant business to our competitors, damage our brand names and reputation, and require us to initiate litigation that could be expensive and divert management resources from the operation of our businesses.

We rely heavily on our senior management team and key personnel, and the loss of any of their services could severely disrupt our business.

Our future success is highly dependent on the ongoing efforts of the members of our senior management and key personnel, in particular on Rick Yan, our chief executive officer. The loss of the services of one or more of our senior executives or key personnel, Mr. Yan in particular, may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Competition for senior management and key personnel is intense, and the pool of suitable candidates is very limited, and we may not be able to retain the services of our senior executives or key personnel, or attract and retain senior executives or key personnel in the future.

In addition, if Mr. Yan, any other members of our senior management or any of our other key personnel joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may not be able to replace them easily and we may lose customers, business partners, key professionals and staff members. Each of our senior executives has entered into an employment agreement with us, which contains confidentiality and non-competition provisions. In the event of a dispute between any of our senior executives and us, we cannot assure you as to the extent, if any, that these provisions may be enforceable in the PRC due to uncertainties involving the PRC legal system.

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If we are unable to attract and retain qualified personnel, our business process outsourcing, training and placement businesses may be materially and adversely affected.

The success of our business process outsourcing, training and placement services depends heavily on our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel. Our business of performing traditional human resource department functions such as payroll, benefits and compliance management and related services for customers on an outsourced basis depends on having personnel with expertise in local and national PRC government employment regulations, payroll management and other human resource department functions. The success of our training business depends on personnel with the necessary skills to conduct and support our training seminars and other activities and services in this business. Similarly, our ability to provide high quality placement and executive search services depends on a dedicated team of consultants with expertise and relationships in the geographic markets and industries in which our clients seek candidates. If we are unable to attract and retain critical skilled personnel, our business process outsourcing, training and placement businesses may be materially and adversely affected.

If we are unable to successfully detect and prevent criminal actions or fraud perpetrated on us, we may be subject to liability and financial loss.

The management of our business process outsourcing services involves the collection of payments from our customers and the disbursement of funds on their behalf by our employees and agents. As a result, we are exposed to theft, embezzlement and other criminal and fraudulent activity by our employees, agents and third parties. If we are unable to successfully detect and prevent criminal or fraudulent activity, our results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.

Our business may suffer if we do not successfully manage our current and potential future growth.

We have grown significantly since we commenced operations in 1998, and we intend to continue to expand in size and increase the number of services we provide. Our anticipated future growth will place demands on our management and operations. Our success in managing this growth will depend to a significant degree on the ability of our executive officers and other members of senior management to operate effectively both independently and as a group, and on our ability to improve and develop our financial and management information systems, controls and procedures. In addition, we will have to successfully adapt our existing systems and introduce new systems, expand, train and manage our workforce, and improve and expand our sales and marketing capabilities. If we are unable to properly manage our operations or our services in existing markets, or the quality of our services deteriorates due to mismanagement, we could significantly damage our brand names and reputation, which would adversely affect our ability to expand our customer base.

Because we operate in a new and evolving market, our operating history may not serve as an adequate basis to judge our future prospects and results of operations.

As we operate in a new and rapidly evolving market, we cannot assure you that we will maintain our profitability or that we will not incur net losses in the future. We expect that our operating expenses will increase as we expand in size and increase the scope of services we provide. Any significant delay or failure to realize anticipated revenue growth could result in significant operating losses. We may encounter risks and difficulties including our potential failure to:

·                      implement our business model and strategy and adapt and modify them as needed;

·                      increase awareness of our brands, protect our reputation and develop customer loyalty;

·                      anticipate with any degree of certainty the behavioral and operational changes of our customers that have a significant impact on our business from time to time as they respond to evolving social, economic, regulatory and political changes in China;

·                      manage our expanding operations and service offerings, including the integration of any acquisitions;

·                      maintain adequate control of our expenses;

·                      adequately and efficiently operate, maintain, upgrade and develop our websites, mobile applications and the other systems and equipment we utilize in providing our services;

·                      attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; and

·                      anticipate and adapt to changing conditions in the human resource, online and other markets in which we operate as well as the impact of any changes in government regulation, mergers and acquisitions involving our competitors, technological developments and other significant competitive and market dynamics.

If we are not successful in addressing any or all of these risks, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

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We may not be able to successfully execute future acquisitions or efficiently manage any acquired business.

As part of our business expansion strategy, we may pursue acquisitions or investments in certain complementary or new businesses. The success of any acquisition will depend upon several factors, including:

·                      our ability to identify and acquire businesses on a cost-effective basis;

·                      our ability to integrate acquired personnel, operations, products and technologies into our organization effectively; and

·                      our ability to retain and motivate key personnel and to retain the clients of acquired firms.

Any such acquisition may require a significant commitment of management time, capital investment and other resources. If we are unable to effectively integrate an acquired business or are required to incur restructuring and other charges to complete an acquisition, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected. Also, if we use our equity securities as consideration for acquisitions, we may dilute the value of your ADSs.

In addition, our possible future acquisitions may expose us to other potential risks, including risks associated with unforeseen or hidden liabilities, the diversion of resources from our existing businesses and technologies, our inability to generate sufficient revenue to offset the costs, expenses of acquisitions and potential loss of, or harm to, relationships with employees and customers as a result of our integration of new businesses. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to manage our business, our financial condition and our results of operations.

We may experience impairment of goodwill in connection with our acquisition of entities or other assets.

We are required to perform an annual goodwill impairment test. Goodwill can become impaired. We test goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate possible impairment, but the fair value estimates involved require a significant amount of difficult judgment and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from our projections, which may result in the need to recognize impairment of some or all of the goodwill we recorded.

If we choose to develop or introduce new products and services outside of the human resource services industry in China, these efforts may not be successful, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

To leverage our large sales force, corporate customer base and brand names, we may expand the scope of services we provide and develop, introduce or invest in new products outside of the human resource services industry to increase our revenues. However, these efforts may not be successful. For example, our investment in a coupon advertising services company was sold at a loss in 2011. In the future, if we again choose to pursue products and services outside of the human resource services industry in China, we cannot assure you that we will be able to do so on a commercially viable basis or in a timely manner, or at all. Any of our efforts to begin or operate a business outside of the human resource services industry that are not successful may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be subject to liability for placing advertisements with content that is deemed inappropriate.

PRC laws and regulations, such as the PRC Advertising Law which became effective on February 1, 1995 and its amendment which became effective on September 1, 2015, the Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Advertising promulgated by the PRC State Administration for Industry and Commerce, or the SAIC, which became effective on September 1, 2016, and the Circular on Launching a Special Program to Rectify Internet Advertisements promulgated by the SAIC, which became effective on February 9, 2018, prohibit advertising companies from producing, distributing or publishing any advertisement that contains any content that violates laws and regulations, impairs the national dignity of the PRC, infringes upon personal and property safety, discloses privacy or state secrets, harms the physical and mental health of minors or the disabled, involves designs of the national flag, national emblem or national anthem or the music of the national anthem of the PRC, is reactionary, obscene, superstitious or absurd, is fraudulent, or disparages similar products. Advertisers, advertising companies and advertisement publishers are also required to distinguish online advertisement by the mark of “AD,” obtain an user’s prior consent before sending online advertisement, verify the content of online advertisement and properly display online advertisement. If we are deemed to be in violation of such laws and regulations, we may be subject to penalties including confiscation of the illegal revenues, levying of fines and suspension or revocation of our business license, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business.

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We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if successful, could cause us to pay significant damage awards.

Third parties may bring claims against us alleging patent, trademark or copyright infringement, or misappropriation of their creative ideas or formats, or other infringement of their proprietary intellectual property rights. Any such claims, regardless of merit, may involve us in time-consuming, costly litigation or investigation, divert significant management and staff attention, require us to enter into expensive royalty or licensing arrangements, prevent us from using important technologies, business methods, content or other intellectual property, result in monetary liability, or otherwise disrupt our operations.

We rely heavily on our information systems, and any failure to properly protect privacy and to maintain and secure our systems could seriously damage our reputation, disrupt our operations and harm our business.

The PRC Constitution states that PRC laws protect the freedom and privacy of communications of citizens and prohibit infringement of such basic rights, and the PRC Contract Law prohibits contracting parties from disclosing or misusing the trade secrets of the other party. The PRC General Provisions of the Civil Law protect citizens’ rights to privacy, provides that personal information should be protected by law and prohibits illegal collection, use, processing, transmission, trade, provision or publication of any personal information. Further, companies or their employees who illegally trade or disclose customer data may face criminal charges.

The Internet industry is facing significant challenges regarding information security and privacy. Certain data and services collected, provided or used by us in our systems or provided to and used by us, our partners, our customers or our job seekers contain confidential and private information, such as names, user IDs and passwords and payment or transaction related information. Our ability to store, retrieve, process, manage and protect substantial amounts of data and information, including our client and candidate databases, is an important part of our operations and a critical component of our success.

In recent years, PRC government authorities have enacted legislation on Internet use to protect personal information from unauthorized disclosure. In December 2012 and July 2013, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the MIIT issued new laws and regulations to enhance the legal protection of information security and privacy on the Internet, and also require Internet operators to take measures to ensure confidentiality of user information. The PRC Counter-Terrorism Law, which became effective on January 1, 2016, requires Internet service providers to prevent the dissemination of information containing terrorist or extremist content and conduct identity verification of individuals. The PRC Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017, further requires Internet product and service providers to take proper measures to protect Internet security and the personal information of users.

While we strive to comply with all relevant data protection laws and regulations, any failure or perceived failure to comply may result in proceedings or actions against us by government entities or others, and could damage our reputation. Concerns about our practices and systems 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, could adversely affect our business. We must further develop and enhance our information systems to compete effectively and ensure our compliance with relevant laws and regulations, which may require significant staff and financial resources. If our online platforms, including our websites and mobile applications, and our other products and systems are not properly maintained and secured, our operations could be seriously disrupted and our business significantly harmed.

Hacking and computer viruses may cause delays or interruptions on our systems and may reduce use of our services and damage our reputation and brand names.

Hacking and computer viruses may cause delays or other service interruptions on our systems. Hacking involves efforts to gain unauthorized access to information or systems or to cause intentional malfunctions, loss or corruption of data, software, hardware or other computer equipment. In addition, the inadvertent transmission of computer viruses could expose us to a material risk of loss or litigation and possible liability. Hacking and computer viruses could result in significant damage to our hardware and software systems and databases, disruptions to our business activities, including to our e-mail and other communications systems, breaches of security and the inadvertent disclosure of confidential or sensitive information, interruptions in access to our websites through the use of “denial of service” or similar attacks, and other material adverse effects on our operations. Although to date we have not been subject to significant targeted disruptions or hacking, and our websites and mobile applications have not gone off-line or been shut down for any significant period of time, we may incur significant costs to continue to protect our systems and equipment against the threat of, and to repair any damage caused by, hacking and computer viruses. Moreover, if hacking or a computer virus affects our systems and is highly publicized, our reputation and brand names could be materially damaged and use of our services may decrease.

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If we do not appropriately maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, our business, results of operations and the market price of our ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

We are subject to reporting obligations under the U.S. securities laws. The SEC, as required under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, adopted rules requiring every public company to include a management report on such company’s internal control over financial reporting in its annual report, which contains management’s assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s 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. Our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017. See “Item 15. — Controls and Procedures.”

However, if we fail to maintain effective 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 the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements and negatively impact the trading price of our ADSs. Furthermore, we have incurred and may need to incur additional costs and use additional management and other resources in an effort to comply with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other requirements going forward.

We have no business insurance coverage.

Other than insurance for some of our properties, we do not maintain any insurance. We do not have any business liability insurance coverage for our operations. Any business disruption, litigation or natural disaster might result in substantial costs and diversion of resources.

We face risks related to health epidemics and other natural disasters.

Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of avian flu, H1N1 flu, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, or another epidemic or outbreak. Health or other government regulations adopted in response to an epidemic or other outbreaks may require temporary closure of our offices or institute restrictions on travel which could adversely affect our ability to provide services to our customers throughout China. Our operations could also be disrupted if any of our employees were suspected of having the avian flu, H1N1 flu, SARS or other disease epidemics, which could require us quarantine some or all of these employees or disinfect our offices. In addition, our results of operations could be adversely affected to the extent that an epidemic or outbreak harms the Chinese economy in general. We have not adopted any written preventive measures or contingency plans to combat any future epidemic.

We are also vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities such as fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist acts or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to server interruptions, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures and Internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our ability to provide our services to users and harm our business. We have backup systems, but we cannot assure you that such backup systems will be adequate if there are problems, or that they will adequately protect us from the effects of any natural disaster or other calamity.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

We are controlled by a small number of our existing shareholders, whose interests may differ from those of other shareholders, and our board of directors has the power to discourage a change of control.

As of February 28, 2018, the following shareholders beneficially owned 36.4 million common shares:

·                      Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd., or Recruit, a leading human resource and information services company in Japan listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which beneficially owned 23.4 million common shares, or approximately 37.9% of our outstanding common shares, and which is affiliated with Junichi Arai, one of our directors; and

·                      Rick Yan, our chief executive officer and a director, who beneficially owned 13.0 million common shares, or approximately 20.8% of our outstanding common shares.

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These shareholders, together with our other directors and members of senior management, beneficially owned approximately 39.0 million common shares. Accordingly, Recruit or Mr. Yan individually could have significant influence in determining the outcome of any corporate transaction or other matter submitted to the shareholders for approval, including mergers, consolidations and the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, election of directors and other significant corporate actions. In cases where their interests are aligned and they vote together, these shareholders will also have the power to prevent or cause a change in control. Without the consent of some or all of these shareholders, we may be prevented from entering into transactions that could be beneficial to us. In addition, these parties could violate their director or employment agreements with us or otherwise violate their fiduciary duties by diverting business opportunities from us to themselves or others. The interests of our largest shareholders may differ from the interests of our other shareholders.

If the PRC authorities determine that our past ownership structure was inconsistent with the requirements for operating certain of our businesses, we could be subject to sanctions.

The PRC government has regulated foreign ownership in entities providing advertising and human resource related services. Prior to March 2004, PRC laws and regulations prohibited foreign persons from owning a controlling interest in advertising entities. This foreign ownership restriction has been relaxed and foreign persons are now permitted to wholly own advertising entities in China. Foreign ownership in entities providing human resource related services was limited to 49% beginning in November 2003, and this ownership limitation has been increased to 70% for human resource services companies registered in several locations in the PRC. For a discussion of the limitations on foreign ownership governing our businesses, see “Item 4. — Information on the Company — Business Overview — Regulation — Limitations on Foreign Ownership of Our Businesses.”

Prior to our restructuring in May 2004, 51net.com Inc., or 51net, our British Virgin Islands subsidiary and a foreign entity, owned 99% of Qianjin Network Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Tech JV, which in turn owned, and continues to own, 80% of Shanghai Qianjin Advertising Co., Ltd., or AdCo. AdCo owned 90% of its principal subsidiaries. In May 2004, we restructured our operations to comply with then existing PRC laws and regulations governing foreign ownership in entities conducting advertising and human resource related services. We have not received any waiver from the PRC government with respect to this past non-compliance.

If we or any of our subsidiaries or affiliated entities were found to have been in violation of PRC laws or regulations governing foreign ownership of advertising or human resource services businesses and the proper operation of our businesses, the relevant regulatory authorities would likely have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including but not limited to:

·                      levying fines;

·                      revoking business licenses;

·                      blocking our websites;

·                      restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from any capital raisings to finance our business and operations in China;

·                      requiring us to restructure the ownership structure or operations of our subsidiaries or affiliated entities; and/or

·                      requiring us to discontinue all or a portion of our business.

Any of these or similar actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations or render us unable to conduct a substantial portion of our business operations and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on agreements with Qian Cheng, Run An and their respective shareholders to receive all of the beneficial interest of these entities. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership.

PRC laws and regulations currently limit foreign investment in entities providing human resource related services and in entities operating as Internet content providers. Tech JV and its subsidiaries conduct most of our operations and recognize most of our revenues. 50% of our equity interest in Tech JV is effectively held by Beijing Qian Cheng Si Jin Advertising Co., Ltd., or Qian Cheng, which is wholly owned by Beijing Run An Information Consultancy Co., Ltd., or Run An. Run An is jointly owned by two long-time members of our senior management team, Jingwu Chen, who replaced a previous nominee shareholder in 2017, and Tao Wang. Through agreements with Qian Cheng, Run An and their respective shareholders, we have the substantial ability to control, bear all the economic risks of, and receive all the economic rewards from, Qian Cheng and Run An. As a result, we consolidate all of these interests for U.S. GAAP reporting purposes. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 7. — Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions — Related Party Transactions — Contractual Arrangements Among Our Group Entities.”

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Although we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel, Jun He Law Offices, that the contractual arrangements as described in this annual report are valid, binding and enforceable under current PRC laws, these arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership of these businesses. For example, Qian Cheng, Run An and their respective shareholders could violate their contractual arrangements with us by refusing to make payments or otherwise refusing to perform their obligations necessary for us to realize the economic rewards from Qian Cheng and Run An. In any such event, we will have to rely on the PRC legal system to enforce our rights, which could have uncertain results. Any legal proceeding may disrupt our business, damage our reputation, divert our resources and incur substantial costs. See “— Risks Related to Doing Business in China — The PRC legal system has inherent uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect us.”

If we are unable to enforce our rights, or if we suffer any significant delays or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may be unable to receive all of the economic rewards from Qian Cheng and Run An. If we are unable to consolidate Qian Cheng and Run An, and their equity interest in Tech JV, our results of operations would be materially reduced. In addition, a significant disruption in these contractual relationships as a result of governmental sanction or otherwise could result in our being required to restructure our operations which could require a significant expenditure of resources.

The shareholders of our affiliated Chinese entities may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may adversely affect our business.

The principal shareholders of our affiliated entity, Run An, are Jingwu Chen and Tao Wang, and our other affiliated entity, Qian Cheng, is wholly owned by Run An. Although Messrs. Chen and Wang are contractually obligated, or obligated as a result of their fiduciary duty to our company, to act in good faith and in our best interest, potential conflicts of interest between their duties to our company and our affiliated Chinese entities may arise. When conflicts of interest arise, Messrs. Chen and Wang may not act entirely in our interests and any such conflicts of interest may not be resolved in our favor. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of our affiliated entities, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could disrupt our business, incur significant costs, distract management and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings. See “— Risks Related to Doing Business in China — The PRC legal system has inherent uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect us.”

The PRC laws and regulations governing our business operations and contractual arrangements are uncertain, and if we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions. In addition, any changes in such PRC laws and regulations may have a material and adverse effect on our business.

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 in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy and criminal proceedings. We and our subsidiaries are considered foreign persons or foreign funded enterprises under PRC laws, and, as a result, we are required to comply with PRC laws and regulations, including those governing foreign ownership in the human resource services and Internet content industries. These laws and regulations may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness of newly enacted laws, regulations or amendments may be delayed, resulting in detrimental reliance by foreign investors. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. Licenses, permits and beneficial treatments issued or granted to us by relevant governmental bodies may be revoked at a later time under contrary findings of higher regulatory bodies. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on our businesses. As a result of these substantial uncertainties, we cannot assure you that we will not be found in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations.

According to PRC laws, trademark license agreements are required to be filed with the Trademark Office of the SAIC for the record. Under a trademark license agreement dated as of August 15, 2000, and supplemented and amended as of August 15, 2005 and August 15, 2010, WFOE has granted to Tech JV the right to use certain trademarks in the PRC. The trademark license agreement has not been filed with the Trademark Office of the SAIC, and as such it may not be enforceable against bona fide third parties until completion of such registration.

In or around September 2011, various media sources reported that the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, had prepared a report proposing regulating the use of variable interest entity, or VIE, structures or contractual arrangements, such as ours, in industry sectors subject to foreign investment restrictions in China and overseas listings by PRC-based companies. However, it is unclear whether the CSRC officially issued or submitted such a report to a higher level government authority or what any such report provides, or whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide.

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On January 19, 2015, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, published the draft Foreign Investment Law, or the Draft FIL, on its official website for public review and comment. Among other things, the Draft FIL expands the definition of foreign investment and introduces the principle of “actual control” in determining whether a domestic enterprise is considered a foreign-invested enterprise. In addition to control through direct or indirect ownership or equity, the Draft FIL includes control through contractual arrangements within the definition of “actual control.” Under the Draft FIL, variable interest entities would be deemed as foreign-invested enterprises, if they are ultimately “controlled” by foreign investors, and may not be allowed, or may be subject to foreign investment restrictions and prohibitions. However, the Draft FIL has not taken a position on what actions will be taken with respect to the existing companies with a variable interest entity structure, whether or not these companies are controlled by PRC citizens/entities. The Draft FIL has no immediate legal effect and it is unclear whether, when and how the legislative progress will proceed. If enacted as proposed, the Draft FIL may materially impact our corporate structure and increase our compliance costs.

On September 3, 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed a decision in connection with the revision of the Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise Law and three other laws, which were implemented on October 1, 2016. According to this decision, formation of a foreign-invested enterprise in a sector not subject to special entry administrative measures will be simplified by requiring only a government filing instead of a government approval. The special entry administrative measures will be separately promulgated by the PRC State Council, or the State Council. Subsequently, the MOFCOM published the Provisional Administrative Measures on Record Filing for Establishment and Alteration of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or the Provisional Measures, on October 8, 2016 and amended such Provisional Measures on July 30, 2017, which aim to implement and elaborate upon the filing requirements, procedures, supervision and other related matters for foreign-invested enterprises in sectors not subject to special entry administrative measures. According to an interpretation of the Provisional Measures published by the MOFCOM on October 8, 2016, foreign investments that are in the prohibited, restricted or encouraged industries and that are subject to the equity and senior management restrictions set forth in the Foreign Investment Industry Guidance Catalogue (2015), which was amended in 2017, will continue to be subject to government approvals regardless of the investment amount or method. In addition, the General Office of the State Council published the Circular on Issuing the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access to Pilot Free Trade Zones (2017 edition), which became effective on July 10, 2017, aiming to further ease restrictions over foreign investment within free trade zones. On July 30, 2017, the MOFCOM published the Announcement on Matters Related to the Administration of the Record Filing of the Incorporation and Change of Foreign-Invested Enterprises to further elaborate on the Provisional Measures.

Although we believe our business operations and contractual arrangements are in compliance with current PRC regulations, if we or any of our subsidiaries or affiliated entities or any of our contractual arrangements are found to be or to have been in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, the relevant regulatory authorities would likely have broad discretion in dealing with such violation, including but not limited to:

·                      levying fines;

·                      revoking business licenses;

·                      blocking our websites;

·                      restricting or prohibiting our use of proceeds from any capital raisings to finance our business and operations in China;

·                      requiring us to restructure the ownership structure or operations of our subsidiaries or affiliated entities; and/or

·                      requiring us to discontinue all or a portion our business.

Any of these or similar actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations or render us unable to conduct a substantial portion of our business operations and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are unable to quantify the likelihood that any sanctions would be imposed or the magnitude of the effect of any such sanctions on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The contractual arrangements with our affiliated Chinese entities may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and result in adverse tax consequences to us.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities. If the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements with our affiliated Chinese entities were not entered into on an arm’s length basis and therefore constitute a favorable transfer pricing, we could face material and adverse tax consequences. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in an increase in the PRC tax liabilities of our affiliated Chinese entities. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our net income may be materially reduced if our affiliated Chinese entities’ tax liabilities increase.

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Our subsidiaries face limitations on paying dividends or making other distributions to us.

We are a holding company and rely substantially on dividends, royalty payments and license fees paid under trademark license agreements and certain other contractual arrangements paid to us by our subsidiaries and affiliated entities in the PRC to finance our operations and to pay dividends to our shareholders. These royalty payments and license fees paid under trademark license agreements and certain other contractual arrangements do not require governmental or other third party approval. However, the payment of dividends in China is subject to certain restrictions and taxes. 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 affiliated entities in the PRC 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 that are not distributable as cash dividends. In addition, the PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of the PRC, and such controls are stringent. We may also experience difficulties in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency. See “Item 4. — Information on the Company — Business Overview — Regulation — Regulations Relating to Foreign Currency Exchange” and “— Regulations Relating to Dividend Distribution.” If we or any of our subsidiaries are unable to receive all of the revenues from our operations through these contractual or dividend arrangements, we may be unable to effectively finance our operations or pay dividends on our common shares.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Our business could be affected by changes in China’s economic, political, regulatory or social conditions or government policies.

The PRC economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. We cannot assure you that the Chinese economy will continue to grow, or that if there is growth, such growth will be steady and uniform, or that if there is a slowdown, such slowdown will not have a negative effect on our business. We cannot assure you that the various macroeconomic measures and monetary policies adopted by the PRC government to guide economic growth and the allocation of resources will be effective in sustaining the fast growth rate of the Chinese economy. In addition, even if these measures benefit the overall Chinese economy, they may impact the hiring behavior of employers and reduce the level of expenditures on human resource services, which would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. The PRC government could determine to develop and support government owned or controlled human resource enterprises in direct competition with us. The PRC government could also determine to more closely regulate the telecommunications, Internet or human resource industries, which could impose additional regulatory costs and burdens on us.

PRC laws and regulations governing operators of Internet websites are unclear and the regulation of the telecommunications and Internet industries may become more burdensome, and if we are found to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations, we could be subject to sanctions.

The interpretation and application of existing and future PRC laws and regulations and the stated positions of the main governing authority, the MIIT, have created significant uncertainty regarding the legality of existing and future foreign investments in, and the businesses and activities of, companies with Internet operations, including those of our company. In particular, the MIIT has stated that the activities of Internet content providers are subject to regulation by various PRC government authorities, depending on the specific activities conducted by the Internet content provider. In addition, PRC government regulation of the telecommunications and Internet industries is burdensome and may become even more so. New regulations could increase our costs of doing business and prevent us from efficiently delivering our services. Our failure to comply with applicable PRC Internet regulations could subject us to severe sanctions.

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In July 2006, the MIIT issued the Notice on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in the Operation of Value-Added Telecommunications Business, or the MIIT Notice. According to the MIIT Notice, foreign investors can only operate a telecommunications business in China by establishing a telecommunications enterprise with a valid telecommunications business operation license. Domestic value-added telecommunications services license holders are prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling telecommunications business operation licenses to foreign investors in any form, and from providing any resource, sites or facilities to foreign investors to facilitate the illegal operation of a telecommunications business in China. The MIIT Notice also requires that value-added telecommunications services license holders (including their shareholders) directly own the domain names and registered trademarks used by such value-added telecommunications services license holders in their daily operations. The MIIT Notice further requires each value-added telecommunications services license holder to have the necessary facilities for its approved business operations and to maintain such facilities in the regions covered by its license. Tech JV, our operating entity which provides online recruitment services, has obtained a value-added telecommunications business operation license permitting it to provide information service via the Internet and mobile networks. However, we cannot assure you that relevant government authorities will not adopt new laws or regulations in the future which may be burdensome on our business or cause substantial compliance costs to us, nor can we assure you that we will always be able to comply with such laws and regulations.

The PRC legal system has inherent uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect us.

The PRC legal system is based upon written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but are not binding on subsequent cases and have limited value as precedents. Since 1979, the PRC legislative bodies have promulgated laws and regulations dealing with economic matters such as foreign investment, corporate organization and governance, commerce, taxation and trade. The overall effect of legislation over the past decades has significantly increased the protections afforded to various forms of foreign or private-sector investment in China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties. In addition, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may be unaware of our violation of these policies and rules until some time later. Our contractual arrangements with our affiliated entities are governed by the laws of the PRC. The enforcement of these contracts and the interpretation of the laws governing these relationships is subject to uncertainty. See “— Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure — The PRC laws and regulations governing our business operations and contractual arrangements are uncertain, and if we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions.”

There are significant uncertainties under the tax law in China and our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected if we are unable to maintain certain tax statuses. In addition, dividends we receive from our subsidiaries located in the PRC are subject to PRC withholding tax.

The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and was amended on February 24, 2017, applies a uniform 25% enterprise income tax, or EIT, rate to both foreign-invested enterprises and domestic enterprises. There are uncertainties on how the EIT Law and its implementation rules are enforced, and whether its future implementation may be consistent with its current interpretation.

In December 2009, our main operating subsidiary, Tech JV, was designated by relevant local authorities in Shanghai as a “High and New Technology Enterprise,” or HNTE, under the EIT Law and became subject to a preferential tax rate of 15%. Tech JV is entitled to this preferential 15% tax rate as long as it maintains the required qualifications, which is subject to review every three years. The current preferential tax status is valid through 2017, and Tech JV will seek to further renew this status with local tax authorities in 2018. We cannot assure you that Tech JV will continue to qualify as a HNTE when it is subject to reevaluation in the future.

The PRC Ministry of Science and Technology, the PRC Ministry of Finance, or the MOF, and the PRC State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, jointly issued the Revised Measure for Certification of High and New Technology Enterprise, or Circular 32, which replaces current rules to provide clarifications on the new assessment criteria and administrative matters as well as the afterwards supervision of HNTEs. Circular 32 became effective on January 1, 2016. Highlights of the new rules include: (1) expanding the high and new technology areas; (2) adjusting certain assessment criteria and retaining the implicit requirement for enterprises to manage their HNTE qualifications systematically; and (3) simplifying the assessment procedure to facilitate application process and establishing an administrative mechanism of selective examination and key examination. However, there has been no detailed working guidance so far about the administrative procedures for HNTE assessment under the new rules. If Tech JV does not maintain its status as a HNTE and the EIT rates of our PRC subsidiaries increase, our financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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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 shall be subject to a 10% withholding tax, and proceeds from the disposition of assets (after deducting the net value of such assets as determined under PRC tax laws) by such foreign enterprise investor shall be subject to a 10% tax, unless such foreign enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of tax. We are incorporated in the Cayman Islands which does not have such a tax treaty with China. Undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1, 2008 are exempted from any withholding tax.

In 2012, the State Council instituted a business tax to value-added tax, or VAT, transformational pilot program in Shanghai. Under this program, industries subject to business tax were transitioned to VAT payers. As of May 1, 2016, the VAT program was expanded to cover all industries in the PRC. We have incurred an increase in tax payments under the VAT regime than under the business tax regime, which has reduced the amount of revenues we recognize. In addition, our online recruitment revenues from 2014 to 2015 and our other human resource related revenues from 2016 to 2017 have been negatively affected due to this policy change, which impacts the direct comparability between future and previously reported total revenue and net revenue figures. If further changes to PRC tax laws and regulations result in increased taxation, our financial condition and results of operations may be negatively impacted.

We may be deemed a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, which could subject us to PRC taxation on our global income and may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Under the EIT Law and its implementation rules, enterprises incorporated under the laws of jurisdictions outside China with their “de facto management bodies” located within China may be considered PRC resident enterprises and therefore subject to an EIT rate of 25% on their worldwide income. Under the implementation regulations issued by the State Council, relating to the EIT Law, “de facto management bodies” is defined as the bodies that have material and overall management control over the production and business operations, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. The Circular on Identification of China-Controlled Overseas-Registered Enterprises as Resident Enterprises on the Basis of Actual Management Organization, or Circular 82, further provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled offshore incorporated enterprise is located in the PRC. For more details about these criteria, please refer to “Item 10. — Additional Information — Taxation — People’s Republic of China Taxation.” Although Circular 82 only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by enterprises or an enterprise group located within the PRC, the determining criteria set forth in Circular 82 may reflect the tax authorities’ general position on how the “de facto management body” test may be applied in determining the tax resident status of offshore enterprises. We are a Cayman Islands holding company and substantially all of our operational management is based in China. As the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to the determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body” as applicable to our offshore entities, we cannot assure you that we will not be considered as a PRC tax resident enterprise. If we are considered to be an enterprise established outside China with “de facto management bodies” located in China and thus a resident enterprise, we may be subject to the uniform 25% EIT rate as to our global income, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We face uncertainty from the PRC’s Circular on Strengthening the Management of Enterprise Income Tax

Collection of Income Derived by Non-Resident Enterprises from Equity Transfers.

The SAT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Management of Enterprise Income Tax Collection of Income Derived by Non-Resident Enterprises from Equity Transfers, or Circular 698, in December 2009, which addresses the transfer of equity by non-PRC tax resident enterprises. Circular 698 became effective retroactively on January 1, 2008. Under Circular 698, where a non-resident enterprise transfers the equity interests of a PRC resident enterprise indirectly by disposition of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, or an Indirect Transfer, it is required to report such Indirect Transfer to the PRC tax authority if the overseas holding company is located in a tax jurisdiction that has an effective tax rate of less than 12.5% or does not levy tax on such foreign-sourced capital gains of its residents. If the overseas holding company mainly serves as a tax avoidance vehicle and does not have any reasonable business purpose, the PRC in-charge tax authority may, upon verification of the SAT, disregard the overseas holding company and re-characterize the Indirect Transfer by referring to its economic essence, and as a result, the overseas controlling party may be subject to a 10% PRC tax for the capital gains realized from the Indirect Transfer.

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On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Bulletin on Several Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Income Arising from Indirect Transfers of Property by Non-Resident Enterprises, or Bulletin 7, which supersedes the existing tax rules in relation to Indirect Transfers, while the other provisions of Circular 698 remain in force. Bulletin 7 introduces a new tax regime that is significantly different from that under Circular 698. Bulletin 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only include Indirect Transfers as set forth under Circular 698 but also transactions involving the transfer of real property in China and the assets of an establishment or place situated in China, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. Under Bulletin 7, if an Indirect Transfer is re-characterized as a direct transfer, the transaction will be subject to (i) 25% EIT rate on the gains derived from the transfer of the property of an establishment or place situated in China, or (ii) 10% EIT rate on the gains derived from the transfer of real property situated in China or equity interests in PRC resident enterprises, unless an applicable tax treaty provides otherwise. Moreover, Bulletin 7 provides clearer criteria than Circular 698 on how to assess reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. However, Bulletin 7 also brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee of the Indirect Transfer as they are required to make a self-assessment of whether the transaction should be subject to PRC tax and to file or withhold the PRC tax accordingly. 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.

On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Bulletin on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Enterprise Income Tax at Source on Non-Resident Enterprises, or Bulletin 37, which repeals Circular 698 effective on December 1, 2017. Bulletin 37 further elaborates on the taxable income from equity transfer, which is the balance of deducting the equity’s net value from the total income from equity transfer. The equity’s net value refers to (i) the capital actually contributed by the equity transferor when it invested in the PRC resident enterprise, or (ii) the actual cost at which the equity transferor bought such equities from its predecessor. Where such equity depreciates or appreciates during the shareholding by the transferor, and the amount depreciated or appreciated can be determined pursuant to the regulations issued by the relevant finance and tax authorities, such equity’s net value should be adjusted accordingly.

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. The transferors and transferees may be subject to the tax filing and withholding or tax payment obligation, while our PRC subsidiaries may be requested to assist in the filing. Furthermore, we may be required to spend valuable resources to comply with Bulletin 7 and Bulletin 37, or to establish that we should not be taxed under Bulletin 7 and Bulletin 37, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The PRC tax authorities have discretion under Bulletin 7 and Bulletin 37 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets transferred and cost of investment. We have made acquisitions in the past and may conduct additional acquisitions in the future. If the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of transactions under Bulletin 7 and Bulletin 37, our income tax costs associated with such potential acquisitions will increase, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

PRC regulation of direct investment and loans by offshore holding companies to PRC entities may delay or limit us from making capital contributions or loans to our PRC subsidiaries.

Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to PRC regulations. For example, none of our loans to a PRC subsidiary can exceed the difference between its total amount of investment and its registered capital approved under relevant PRC laws, and the loans must be registered with the local branch of the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE. Our capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries must be approved by or filed with the MOFCOM or its local counterpart. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary registration or obtain the necessary approval on a timely basis, or at all. If we fail to complete the necessary registration or obtain the necessary approval, our ability to make loans or equity contributions to our PRC subsidiaries may be negatively affected, which could adversely affect our PRC subsidiaries’ liquidity and their ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments.

If the chops of our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated entities are not kept safely, are stolen, or are misused or misappropriated by unauthorized persons, our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected.

In the PRC, a company chop or seal serves as the legal representation of the company to third parties even when unaccompanied by a signature. Each legally registered company in the PRC is required to have a company chop, which must be registered with the local public security bureau and the local administration for industry and commerce. In addition to this mandatory chop, companies may have several other chops which can be used for specific purposes. The chops of our PRC subsidiaries and affiliated entities are held securely by personnel designated or approved by us in accordance with our internal control procedures. To the extent these chops are not kept safely, are stolen, or are misused or misappropriated by unauthorized persons, the corporate governance of these entities could be severely and adversely compromised. As a result, these 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, which may require us to take legal action, divert resources and management attention, and could materially and adversely affect our business and operations.

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You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing original actions in China based on United States or other foreign laws against us or our management.

We conduct substantially all of our operations in China and the majority of our assets are located in China. In addition, many of our directors and executive officers reside within China. As a result, it may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside China upon these directors or executive officers, including with respect to matters arising under U.S. federal securities laws or applicable state securities laws. Moreover, our PRC legal counsel has advised us that the PRC does not have treaties with the United States or many other countries providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgment of courts.

Registered public accounting firms in China, including our independent registered public accounting firm, are not inspected by the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, which deprives us and our investors of the benefits of such inspection.

Auditors of companies whose shares are registered with the SEC and traded publicly in the United States, including our independent registered public accounting firm, must be registered with the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or the PCAOB, and are required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards applicable to auditors. Our independent registered public accounting firm is located in, and organized under the laws of, the PRC, which is a jurisdiction where the PCAOB, notwithstanding the requirements of U.S. law, is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities. In May 2013, the PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the CSRC and the MOF, which establishes a cooperative framework between the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations undertaken by the PCAOB, the CSRC or the MOF in the United States and the PRC, respectively. The PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the CSRC and the MOF to permit joint inspections in the PRC of audit firms that are registered with the PCAOB and audit Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges.

This lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of our independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, we and investors in our 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 PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

If additional remedial measures are imposed on the Big Four PRC-based 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, we could be unable to timely file future financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

In December 2012, the SEC instituted administrative proceedings against the Big Four PRC-based accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, alleging that these firms had violated U.S. securities laws and the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder by failing to provide to the SEC the firms’ audit work papers with respect to certain PRC-based companies that are publicly traded in the United States. On January 22, 2014, the Administrative Law Judge, or ALJ, presiding over the matter rendered an initial decision that each of the firms had violated the SEC’s rules of practice by failing to produce audit work papers to the SEC. The initial decision censured each of the firms and barred them from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The Big Four PRC-based accounting firms appealed the ALJ’s initial decision to the SEC. The ALJ’s decision does not take effect unless and until it is endorsed by the SEC. In February 2015, each of the Big 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 and audit U.S.-listed companies. The settlement required the firms to follow detailed procedures and to seek to provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. If future document productions fail to meet specified criteria, the SEC retains authority to impose a variety of additional remedial measures on the firms depending on the nature of the failure. While we cannot predict if the SEC will further review the Big Four PRC-based accounting firms’ compliance with specified criteria or if the results of such a review would result in the SEC imposing penalties such as suspensions or restarting the administrative proceedings, if the accounting firms are subject to additional remedial measures, our ability to file our financial statements in compliance with SEC requirements could be impacted. A determination that we have not timely filed financial statements in compliance with SEC requirements could ultimately lead to the delisting of our ADSs from the NASDAQ Global Select Market or the termination of the registration of our ADSs under the Exchange Act, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our ADSs in the United States.

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Governmental control of currency conversion may affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China, and such controls are stringent. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi, which is currently not a freely convertible currency. Under our current structure, our income will be primarily derived from dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries and other payments such as royalty and licensing fees. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries and our affiliated entities to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends, royalty payments or other fees to us, or otherwise satisfy their foreign currency dominated obligations. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from the transaction, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from appropriate governmental authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of bank 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, including holders of our ADSs.

The fluctuation of the Renminbi may materially and adversely affect your investment.

The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in the PRC’s political and economic conditions. In July 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of the Renminbi to the U.S. dollar and permitted the Renminbi to fluctuate within a managed band against a basket of certain foreign currencies. The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar decreased 4.4% in 2015, decreased 7.2% in 2016 and increased 6.3% in 2017. Due to the U.S. dollar cash deposits we hold and our U.S. dollar-denominated convertible senior notes issued in 2014, we are exposed to foreign currency risks, and we recognized a loss from foreign currency translation of RMB55.9 million in 2015, a gain of RMB0.2 million in 2016 and a gain of RMB3.6 million (US$0.6 million) in 2017. It is possible that the Chinese government could adopt a more flexible currency policy in the future, which could result in further and more significant revaluations of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar or any other foreign currency. As a material portion of our assets and liabilities are denominated in U.S. dollars, any future revaluations of the Renminbi may result in charges to our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income and significant changes in the values of these U.S. dollar-denominated assets and liabilities when translated into Renminbi.

In addition, as we rely substantially on dividends, royalty payments and other fees paid to us in Renminbi by our subsidiaries and affiliated entities in the PRC, any significant downward revaluation of the Renminbi may materially and adversely affect our cash flows, revenues and financial condition, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in foreign currency terms. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our common shares or for other business purposes and the U.S. dollar appreciates against the Renminbi, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the Renminbi we convert would be reduced. For further information on our foreign exchange risks and certain exchange rates, see “Item 3. — Key Information — Selected Financial Data — Exchange Rate Information” and “Item 11. — Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk — Foreign Exchange Risk.”

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PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may increase our administrative burden and adversely impact our business and prospects. If our shareholders who are PRC residents fail to make any required registrations or filings under such regulations, we may be unable to distribute profits and may become subject to liability under PRC laws.

The SAFE promulgated the Notice on Issues Relating to the Administration of Foreign Exchange in Fund-Raising and Round-Trip Investment Activities of Domestic Residents Conducted via Offshore Special Purpose Companies, or Circular 75, which became effective on November 1, 2005, requiring PRC residents to register with local branches of the SAFE before establishing or controlling any company outside of China for the purpose of raising funds from overseas to acquire or exchange the assets of, or acquiring equity interests in, PRC entities held by such PRC residents. On July 4, 2014, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Round-Trip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles, or Circular 37, which superseded Circular 75. Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of the 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 Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of 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. In the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Moreover, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. On February 13, 2015, the SAFE promulgated the Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or Circular 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015. Pursuant to Circular 13, entities and individuals are required to apply for foreign exchange registration of foreign direct investment and overseas direct investment, including those required under Circular 37, with qualified banks, instead of the SAFE. The qualified banks, under the supervision of the SAFE, will directly review the applications and process the registration.

We have notified beneficial owners of common shares of our company who we know are PRC residents of their filing obligation. However, we may not be aware of the identities of all of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. We do not have control over our beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our PRC-resident beneficial owners have fully complied or will fully comply with Circular 37 and subsequent implementation rules. For example, we are not aware of available registration procedures for PRC residents that are non-PRC passport holders, which makes our beneficial owners who are foreign citizens residing in China currently unable to comply with these regulations. The failure or inability of our PRC-resident beneficial owners to comply with the registration procedures set forth therein may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to our company or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In March 2007, the SAFE promulgated the Application Procedure of Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Employee Stock Holding Plan or Stock Option Plan of Overseas-Listed Company, or the Stock Option Rule, to regulate foreign exchange procedures for PRC individuals participating in employee stock holding and stock option plans of overseas companies. On February 15, 2012, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Certain Foreign Exchange Issues Relating to Domestic Individuals’ Participation in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas-Listed Company, or the New Stock Option Rule. Upon the effectiveness of the New Stock Option Rule on February 15, 2012, the Stock Option Rule became void, although the basic requirements and procedures provided under the Stock Option Rule are kept unchanged in the New Stock Option Rule. Directors, supervisors, the senior management and other employees of the domestic subsidiary of an overseas-listed company (which shall include companies and other subsidiaries directly or indirectly established or controlled by such overseas-listed company in China) participating in any stock incentive plan of the overseas-listed company who are PRC citizens or who are non-PRC citizens residing in China for a continuous period of not less than one year, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with the SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas-listed company, and complete certain other procedures. We and our PRC employees, directors and senior management are subject to these regulations.

In addition, the SAT has issued circulars concerning employee share options. Under these circulars, individuals working in China who exercise share options will be subject to PRC individual income tax. We have obligations to file documents related to employee share options with relevant tax authorities and withhold the individual income taxes of employees who exercise their share options. If we or our PRC optionees fail to comply with these regulations, we or our PRC optionees may be subject to fines and other legal and administrative sanctions.

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Risks Related to Our Common Shares and Our ADSs

The trading price of our ADSs has been volatile and may continue to be volatile regardless of our operating performance.

The trading price of our ADSs has been and may continue to be subject to wide fluctuations in response to factors including the following:

·                      actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly operating results;

·                      changes or revisions by us to previously released operating and financial targets;

·                      announcements by us or our competitors of new services, significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments;

·                      changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;

·                      conditions in our industry, which is the market for recruitment advertising services and other human resource related services in China;

·                      additions or departures of key personnel;

·                      fluctuations of exchanges rates between the Renminbi and U.S. dollar; and

·                      pending or potential litigation or regulatory investigations.

In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for Internet-related companies and companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. These market fluctuations may also materially and adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. The securities of some PRC-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards Chinese companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. 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. Furthermore, volatility or a lack of positive performance in our ADS price may adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted stock options.

The future sales, or perceived potential sales, of a substantial number of our ADSs in the public market could adversely affect the price of our ADSs.

Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs. Such sales 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. Common shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market under, and subject to the restrictions contained in, Rule 144 under the Securities Act. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our shareholders will have on the market price of our ADSs.

Conversion of our convertible senior notes may dilute the ownership interest of existing shareholders.

The conversion of some or all of our convertible senior notes may dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders. Any sales in the public market of the ADSs issuable upon such conversion could adversely affect prevailing market prices of our ADSs. In addition, the existence of the convertible senior notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of the convertible senior notes could depress the market price of our ADSs.

Your right to participate in any future rights offerings may be limited, which may cause dilution of your holdings.

We may from time to time distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire our securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary bank will not offer you those rights unless the distribution to ADS holders of both the rights and any related securities is either registered under the Securities Act, or exempt from registration under the Securities Act. We are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to any such rights or securities or to endeavor to cause such a registration statement to be declared effective. Moreover, we may not be able to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act. Accordingly, you may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution in your holdings.

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You may not be able to exercise your right to vote.

As a holder of ADSs, you may only exercise the voting rights with respect to the underlying common shares in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you must vote by giving voting instructions to the depositary. Upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will vote the underlying common shares in accordance with these instructions. Otherwise, you will not be able to exercise your right to vote unless you withdraw the shares. Under our memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required for convening either an annual general meeting or an extraordinary general meeting called to vote on matters requiring the approval by special resolution is 20 days. The minimum notice period for other extraordinary general meetings is 14 days. When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice to withdraw the shares to allow you to vote with respect to any specific matter. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials 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 exercise your right to vote and there may be nothing you can do if the shares underlying your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

You may not receive distributions on common shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay to you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on common shares or other deposited securities after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of common shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is inequitable or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, the depositary may determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, common shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, common shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive the distribution we make on our common shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may have a material adverse effect on the value of your ADSs.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs represented by the ADRs 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 thinks 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.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and the majority of our assets are located outside the United States. In addition, many of our directors and executive officers are nationals or residents of jurisdictions other than the United States and all or a substantial portion of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon our directors or executive officers, or enforce judgments obtained in the United States courts against our directors or executive officers.

Our corporate affairs are governed by our memorandum and articles of association, the Cayman Islands Companies Law, as amended and revised from time to time, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary duties 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, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding 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 precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States, and some states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law. In addition, shareholders of Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

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There are uncertainties as to whether Cayman Islands courts would:

·                      recognize or enforce against us judgments of courts of the United States based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws; and

·                      impose liabilities against us, in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, based on certain civil liability provisions of U.S. securities laws that are penal in nature.

There is no statutory recognition in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the United States, although the courts of the Cayman Islands will in certain circumstances recognize and enforce a non-penal judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits.

As a result of all of the above, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a U.S. company.

If we are considered a PRC resident under the EIT Law, dividends we pay to non-resident holders may be subject to PRC withholding tax and gains realized by non-resident holders on sale of ADSs or common shares may be subject to PRC income tax.

If we are considered to be a PRC resident enterprise under the EIT Law, any dividends payable to non-resident enterprise holders of our common shares or ADSs may be treated as income derived from sources within PRC and therefore subject to a 10% withholding tax (or 20% in the case of non-resident individual holders) unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. In addition, capital gains realized by non-resident enterprise holders upon the disposition of our common shares or ADSs may be treated as income derived from sources within PRC and therefore subject to 10% income tax (or 20% in the case of non-resident individual holders) unless an applicable income tax treaty provides otherwise. If we are required under the EIT Law to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC investors or if you are required to pay PRC income tax on any gains realized from the transfer of our common shares or ADSs, the value of your investment in our common shares or ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

We believe that we were not a passive foreign investment company, or a PFIC, for our taxable year ending on December 31, 2017, although there can be no assurance in this regard. However, we believe there is a risk that we may become one in the future, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. investors.

Based on the past composition of our income and valuation of our assets, including goodwill, we believe that we were not a PFIC for our taxable year ending on December 31, 2017, although there can be no assurance in this regard. However, due to the volatility of the market price of our common shares, as represented by our ADSs, we believe there is a risk that we may become one in the future. Under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually and our PFIC status for any particular year will depend upon the character of our income and assets and the value of our assets at such time. Accordingly, our PFIC status for any particular taxable year cannot be determined with certainty until after the close of that taxable year. In particular, our PFIC status may be determined in large part based on the market price of our common shares, as represented by our ADSs, which is likely to fluctuate (and may fluctuate considerably given that the global capital markets have been experiencing extreme volatility). Accordingly, fluctuations in the market price of our common shares, as represented by our ADSs, may result in our being a PFIC in the current or any future taxable year.

Further, if it is determined that we do not own the stock of our affiliated PRC entities, which is held through contractual arrangements, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be treated as a PFIC for our current taxable year and any taxable year thereafter. There exist substantial uncertainties regarding the application, interpretation and enforcement of relevant current and future PRC laws and regulations and their potential effect on our corporate structure and contractual arrangements with certain of our affiliated PRC entities. There can be no assurance that the PRC regulatory authorities will not take a view different from those of our PRC legal counsel. Further, even if the uncertainties as to PRC laws and regulations did not exist, there are also substantial uncertainties as to the treatment of our corporate structure and ownership of these affiliated PRC entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold our ADSs or common shares, such characterization could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to you if you are a U.S. investor. For example, if we are or become a PFIC, our U.S. investors may become subject to increased tax liabilities under U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations, and will become subject to burdensome reporting requirements. Moreover, non-corporate U.S. investors will not be eligible for reduced rates on taxation on any dividends received from us, if we are a PFIC in the taxable year in which such dividends are paid or in the preceding taxable year. See “Item 10. — Additional Information — Taxation — Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations — Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

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ITEM 4.                                    INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A.                History and Development of the Company

We commenced our business in 1998. In March 2000, our founders incorporated a new holding company, now called 51job, Inc., as an exempted limited liability company in the Cayman Islands under the Cayman Islands Companies Law. Subsequently, 51job, Inc. acquired 51net.com Inc., or 51net, a British Virgin Islands company and the registered owner of our www.51job.com domain name, and other subsidiaries to become the holding company of our corporate group. As of December 31, 2017, we mainly operated our business through the following significant PRC subsidiaries and affiliated Chinese entities:

·                      Qianjin Network Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Tech JV, which is owned by 51net, Qian Cheng and Wuhan AdCo, and holds licenses which allow it to provide online advertising, human resource related and value-added telecommunications services;

·                      Beijing Qian Cheng Si Jin Advertising Co., Ltd., or Qian Cheng, which is wholly owned by Run An, is our joint venture partner in Tech JV and has an equity interest in Shanghai Qianjin Advertising Co., Ltd., or AdCo;

·                      Beijing Run An Information Consultancy Co., Ltd., or Run An, which is jointly owned by Jingwu Chen and Tao Wang, two senior executives of our company;

·                      Qian Cheng Wu You Network Information Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd., or WFOE, which is wholly owned by 51net Beijing, a Cayman Islands company wholly owned by 51job, Inc., and owns our trademarks and registered copyrights; and

·                      Wuhan Mei Hao Qian Cheng Advertising Co., Ltd., or Wuhan AdCo, which is wholly owned by Qian Cheng and has an equity interest in Tech JV.

Our business and operations are mainly conducted through Tech JV and its subsidiaries.

In May 2004, we restructured our operations to comply with then existing PRC laws and regulations governing foreign ownership in entities conducting advertising and human resource related services. For a discussion on our group structure, see “Item 4. — Information on the Company — Organizational Structure.”

In 2015, we acquired 100% of the equity interest in Yingjiesheng.com, an established online recruitment website which focuses on college graduates and students in China, for RMB250.0 million, acquired 60% of the equity interest in Beijing Zhiding Youyuan Management Consulting Co., Ltd., a provider of professional assessment services, for RMB18.7 million, and made several long-term, non-controlling investments totaling RMB22.8 million in companies that provide services related to our operations and business strategy. In 2016, we made several long-term, non-controlling investments totaling RMB127.7 million, primarily in a provider of accounting and finance training courses as well as in companies that provide business process outsourcing services in China. In December 2017, we acquired 66% of the equity interest in Lagou Information Limited, or Lagou, which operates a recruitment website focused on technology and engineering talent in China, for RMB782.6 million (US$118.9 million), and made several long-term, non-controlling investments totaling RMB97.3 million (US$15.0 million) in companies that provide recruitment and human resource services. We have utilized our existing cash resources for payments related to these acquisitions and investments in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In addition to organic growth, we expect to selectively pursue acquisitions and investments in businesses that complement our existing operations and further our strategic objectives in the future.

Our principal executive offices are located at Building 3, No. 1387, Zhang Dong Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86-21-6160-1888. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, PO Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is CCS Global Solutions, Inc., located at 530 Seventh Avenue, Suite 909, New York, New York 10018.

Our Offerings and Securities Repurchases

We completed our initial public offering of 6,037,500 ADSs, and on September 29, 2004, the trading of our ADSs commenced on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “JOBS.”

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In April 2014, we completed an offering of US$172.5 million in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2019. The notes were offered to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and certain non-U.S. persons in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. The notes bear interest at a rate of 3.25% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year. The notes will mature on April 15, 2019. The notes may be converted based on an initial conversion rate of 11.6976 ADSs per US$1,000 principal amount of the notes (which represents an initial conversion price of US$85.49 per ADS). The conversion rate is subject to adjustment in some events. Following the change in the ratio of our common shares to ADSs from 2:1 to 1:1 effective August 8, 2014, the initial conversion rate was adjusted to 23.3952 ADSs per US$1,000 principal amount of the notes (which represents an adjusted initial conversion price of approximately US$42.74 per ADS).

In September 2008, we announced a share repurchase program, which provided authorization to purchase up to US$25 million worth of our outstanding ADSs. Under this program, from 2008 to 2011, we purchased 2,030,658 ADSs, through open-market transactions for an aggregate consideration of approximately US$11 million, including transaction fees. In June 2014, our shareholders approved an increase to the size of the share repurchase program from US$25 million to US$75 million. Under this increased program and through open-market transactions, we purchased 898,950 ADSs for an aggregate consideration of approximately US$24 million in the year ended December 31, 2015, including transaction fees. We did not make any repurchase of our ADSs in the open market in 2016 and 2017.

In addition to the share repurchase program, we may from time to time make repurchases of our other securities, including our convertible senior notes due 2019, in open-market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, subject to market conditions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material. We did not make any repurchase of our convertible senior notes in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

B.                Business Overview

We believe that we are a leading nationwide provider of integrated human resource services in China. We have a strong focus on online recruitment advertising, and our websites and their related mobile applications are utilized by a broad base of corporate employers, reach a wide and diverse audience of job seekers and aggregate job information from nearly 200 cities across China.

In addition to recruitment advertising services, we also provide other complementary human resource related services, consisting primarily of business process outsourcing, training, campus recruitment and placement services. We aim to be a comprehensive, “one-stop” solution to human resource departments by providing recruitment and other human resource related services to employers through 25 local sales offices and a national sales and customer service call center in Wuhan. Although we provide services to both employers and job seekers, we derive substantially all of our revenues from employers.

Our Products and Services

We provide a range of human resource services in the following categories:

·                      recruitment advertising services, mainly online recruitment and, historically, print advertising services; and

·                      other human resource related services, such as business process outsourcing, training, campus recruitment and placement services.

We generate a significant majority of our revenues from our recruitment advertising services. Our online recruitment services business generated 64.5% of our revenues in 2015, 65.2% of our revenues in 2016 and 65.0% of our revenues in 2017. Our print advertising business generated 0.3% of our revenues in 2015, nil in 2016 and nil in 2017. Other human resource related services generated 35.2% of our revenues in 2015, 34.8% of our revenues in 2016 and 35.0% of our revenues in 2017.

Recruitment Advertising Services – Online Recruitment Services

Our online recruitment services are delivered through several websites and brands, each with a focus on the needs of job seekers and employers in a designated labor market segment or demographic group in China.

www.51job.com. We established our flagship online recruitment website, www.51job.com, in 1999. Recruitment advertisements on 51job.com primarily target white-collar workers between the ages of 20 to 35 and cover many different job categories ranging from professional and middle management positions to entry-level, clerical and hourly jobs. We generally update the advertisements on 51job.com several times each hour, which provides job seekers with new opportunities constantly and allows employers to receive timely responses.

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On the 51job.com platform, employers can:

·                      post recruitment advertisements, search our job candidate database and download resumés;

·                      manage, organize and streamline the recruitment process, such as to track applicant status, establish interview schedules, retain past job postings and maintain candidate folders;

·                      place advertising banners, trademarks, logos, website hyperlinks and other forms of advertising to promote their corporate image;

·                      utilize enhanced marketing tools, such as priority placement of their job postings in keyword search results and e-mail marketing campaigns to a targeted group of job seekers; and

·                      verify job candidate details through an online background-checking report.

In addition, we offer website design as a value-added service to increase the corporate image of employers. We can build customized “private label” recruitment websites with the “look and feel” of a dedicated website. We design these sites in-house to client specifications and operate and maintain these sites for our clients.

For job seekers, 51job.com has online tools which allow them to:

·                      view all current recruitment advertisements and search for positions using keywords or based on a number of criteria, including city of employment, industry, job function, company type, and salary level;

·                      submit resumés directly to prospective employers to apply for a desired position;

·                      organize job applications and track submission status;

·                      obtain career development advice, salary benchmarking data and other job-related information;

·                      receive updates and notifications on specific companies of their choice; and

·                      receive recommendations of job opportunities matching the job seeker’s profile and preferences.

We believe that 51job.com is one of the largest dedicated national recruitment websites in China in terms of the number of recruitment advertisements. We also believe that 51job.com is among the largest in terms of the number of registered job user accounts and posted job seeker resumés, with approximately 123 million user accounts established since the launch of this website in 1999 and approximately 114 million resumés posted online as of December 31, 2017. We believe that 51job.com is perceived as a “destination site” by job seekers because of its large volume of advertisements and the job search, training, and general career management content available on the website.

www.yingjiesheng.com. In 2015, we acquired Yingjiesheng.com, or YJS, an online recruitment website which focuses on college graduates and students in China. YJS enables employers to place recruitment advertisements and allows job seekers to apply to full-time, part-time and internship job opportunities. YJS also disseminates information about application deadlines, on-campus talks, corporate visits and recruitment fairs. In addition, YJS moderates online career advice and job seeker counseling forums that facilitate information sharing and engagement among its users.

We believe YJS is an important complement to 51job.com as it attracts new highly educated, first-time workers that may be migrated to 51job.com for further job opportunities as they mature and gain experience. YJS also provides access to a younger audience that is particularly valuable to employers who seek to build a long-term talent pipeline. The collaboration of the online presence of YJS and our existing offline campus recruitment services further increase and strengthen our overall service effectiveness to employers.

www.51jingying.com. In 2015, we launched the website www.51jingying.com, or Jingying, which is a platform that connects recruiters with primarily passive job seekers who are usually currently employed, older, more experienced and highly skilled. We believe that Jingying addresses a segment of the labor market in China that has been traditionally served by a highly fragmented, offline community of local, small headhunting firms. Through Jingying, headhunters may post employment opportunities and search job candidate profiles. Conversely, job seekers can apply to these listings and access recruiter profiles that provide background details on industry of expertise, previous job placements and verification of professional credentials. However, to complete a connection, recruiters and job seekers are required to exchange and accept each other’s electronic business cards through Jingying, after which, they can build a professional network of contacts and establish long-term relationships. The features of Jingying also include more powerful search capabilities that better prioritize relevant positions and candidates, and its mobile application has a private communication channel and name card scanning function.

Jingying hosts online talent fairs focused on popular, high demand job opportunities that require specific skills for particular industries and geographies, such as the need for investment managers in the financial services industry in Shanghai. Interested job seekers are required to register in advance for the online talent fairs, their qualifications are pre-screened and checked, and those who meet the requirements are accelerated into the hiring process among the group of participating employers to fill vacancies more quickly and efficiently.

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www.lagou.com. In December 2017, we acquired Lagou.com, a recruitment website specializing in technology and engineering talent in China. Recruitment advertisements on Lagou.com come from employers seeking to hire for positions including software developers, computer programmers, web designers, systems administrators, data analysts and project managers. For the convenience of its targeted audience of technology and engineering professionals, job opportunities on Lagou.com are organized and categorized into niches in the technology hiring spectrum, such as positions requiring experience with a certain programming language or those openings specifically in the emerging areas of artificial intelligence, big data or cloud computing. Lagou.com also provides industry trends, company profiles and reviews, and user discussion forums.

Due to the rapid rise of the technology industry and an increased focus on innovation among businesses in China, we believe Lagou.com addresses a growing imbalance between labor supply and demand as employers compete aggressively for workers with particular technical skills and expertise. We also believe that the strong demand for these highly skilled technology professionals will drive further need for effective recruitment solutions due to the scarcity of such professionals.

Mobile applications. For all of our online brands, we have mobile applications that enable job seekers to access their accounts through mobile devices and utilize most functions available on their respective websites. We believe that these mobile offerings help job seekers receive information anywhere and anytime, allowing them to more quickly apply to desired job positions and respond to employers when they do not have convenient access to a personal computer. We believe these mobile offerings increase job seeker engagement, provide important real-time benefits and enhance the job search experience for our users.

The following table sets forth the estimated number of unique employers who used our online recruitment services for the periods indicated.

We provide job seekers access to our websites and mobile applications free of charge.

Recruitment Advertising Services – Print Advertising

51job Weekly. 51job Weekly was a city-specific recruitment advertising publication which was published once a week and was distributed as an insert in a local newspaper and/or on a stand-alone basis.

Considering the emerging trend of online recruitment, we had decided to gradually discontinue the publication of 51job Weekly in local cities since 2010 and had completely ceased all print advertising operations in 2015.

Other Human Resource Related Services

Business Process Outsourcing. We perform business process outsourcing services by managing human resource administrative functions for employers on an outsourced basis. Our services to corporate clients mainly consist of social insurance and benefits processing, regulatory compliance with local governmental employment regulations and payroll processing. While the market for business process outsourcing services in China is currently immature compared to developed economies like the United States, we believe that there is significant future potential for these services as companies in China grow and become more sophisticated, thereby increasing the need and demand for using third parties to perform human resource administrative functions. In providing our business process outsourcing services, we benefit from the close operational integration with our recruitment advertising services, which enables us to share staff resources and leverage our sales and marketing investments. We continue to build our outsourcing capability and aim to increase the number of companies and individuals we serve as well as to expand the type of services we provide.

Training. We conduct training seminars in business management, leadership, sales and marketing, human resource, negotiation skills, financial planning and analysis, public administration, manufacturing, secretarial and other skills. We provide our seminars to the general public and on a customized, in-house basis for corporate clients. We license content and materials from third parties for some of the training courses we provide. We also enter into arrangements with certain trainers and lecturers that meet our knowledge, expertise and experience requirements. In addition to classroom-style seminars, we provide outdoor-based training exercises and programs for corporate clients to promote personal development, team building and communication. We believe that our training services build our brand awareness as a provider of comprehensive, integrated human resource services.

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Campus Recruitment. We provide campus recruitment services to corporations seeking to recruit college and university students. We assist corporations with recruitment strategy, selection of schools, schedule of campus visits, promotion of their image to students and on-campus logistical arrangements.

Placement and Executive Search. We provide placement and executive search services to employers seeking to attract high demand talent and fill urgent job vacancies that require workers with specific skills, qualifications or experience. Depending on the terms and conditions stated in our scope of work agreements with employers, we may identify and select prospective candidates, conduct interviews, negotiate compensation packages and complete hiring procedures on behalf of our corporate clients.

Professional Assessment Tools. We provide professional and scientific assessment tools to assist human resource departments in evaluating capabilities and dispositions of job candidates and existing employees. In 2015, we expanded our product offerings with the acquisition of Beijing Zhiding Youyuan Management Consulting Co., Ltd., or Zhiding Youyuan. Zhiding Youyuan provides talent assessment services, including a system of in-house developed, proprietary psychometric tests, which help employers to identify ideal job candidates and better allocate talent resources in their organizations in China.

Salary and Other Human Resource Related Surveys. We conduct general and customized salary survey studies with analyses of compensation and benefits packages across various cities, industries and job positions. Human resource departments utilize this data to understand the market for compensation levels and to assist in their determination of compensation and benefits packages. We also conduct surveys on employee retention and other human resource related topics.

Human Resource Conferences. We organize and host annual human resource conferences and events in some of our cities. These conferences and events include lectures, seminars, workshops and networking opportunities for human resource professionals. Although we do not generate significant revenues from hosting these conferences and events, this service provides us with exposure to, and interaction with, existing and prospective clients.

Other Products. We also perform support and administrative services for employers on select recruitment projects.

Technology

We design and update our websites and mobile applications as well as develop our proprietary software entirely in-house. We own the copyrights, software, trademarks and other intellectual property with respect to the design and content of our websites and mobile applications, other than the advertisements and trademarks provided by our advertisers. Our websites are hosted by the major state-owned telecommunications service providers in China.

We employ a large staff of website designers and technicians to update and enhance our websites as well as to design, build and provide assistance to customers whose recruitment websites we are maintaining. New recruitment advertisements provided to us by employers who have purchased and registered online accounts generally appear on our websites within a few hours.

From time to time we experience slower Internet service from our Internet service providers as a result of technical difficulties associated with high traffic volumes, computer viruses, the proliferation of “spam” e-mail traffic and other difficulties that generally affect Internet traffic. To date, we have not been subject to significant targeted disruptions or hacking and we believe that difficulties we have experienced relating to the speed of the Internet service and web-hosting provided by the telecommunications service providers are consistent with the difficulties that affect Internet service in China generally. To date, our websites and mobile applications have not gone off-line or been shut down for any significant period of time. We do not believe that our business has been materially disrupted or negatively affected by technical difficulties with respect to our websites and mobile applications. However, we cannot assure you that our business will not face material disruptions or damage from spam, viruses, hacking or other technical difficulties. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Hacking and computer viruses may cause delays or interruptions on our systems and may reduce use of our services and damage our reputation and brand names;” “— We face risks related to health epidemics and other natural disasters;” and “— We are dependent on our Internet service providers, and we are vulnerable to failures of the Internet, fixed line telecommunications networks in China and our technology platform.”

Competition

We face significant competition in all of our business lines. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — Because we face significant competition in all of our businesses, we may lose market share and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.”

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Online Recruitment Services

We experience competition in our online recruitment services business from dedicated job search websites, such as www.zhaopin.com, as well as market niche players that focus on particular industry verticals, such as technology and finance, or job seeker segments.

None of the well-established nationwide Internet portals, search engines and online classified websites, such as www.58.com, www.baidu.com, www.qq.com and www.sina.com.cn, are dedicated providers of recruitment advertising or other human resource products in China, and each offers a wide variety of other online services. However, any or all of our online competitors may decide to allocate significant additional resources to providing recruitment advertising or other human resource services. We may also face competition from professional and social networking websites as well as other large Internet companies who may enter the market for any or all of our services in China. As a result of these events, we could encounter significantly increased competition in some or all of our markets.

Other Services

We believe the market for business process outsourcing services is in an early stage of development and the competition is generally localized. Our key competitors are typically service agencies affiliated with or sponsored by local government and human resources and social security bureaus. In the training services market, we face competition primarily from small, local training firms or individual trainers who specialize in specific areas of expertise. The competition in the placement and executive search services market in China is largely fragmented.

Customers

Our customers consist of large multinational corporations, large national Chinese corporations and local Chinese enterprises of all sizes.

Sales and Marketing

Our sales and marketing strategy is focused on promoting our brand names and further establishing our reputation as an integrated provider of high quality human resource services. We utilize various marketing channels to target these key groups:

·                      job seekers;

·                      employers with hiring and/or training needs;

·                      executive recruiters and headhunting firms; and

·                      human resource departments with actual or potential outsourcing needs.

Direct Marketing. We target employers principally through direct marketing, which we believe has been highly effective in attracting new customers and serving existing customers. As of December 31, 2017, we employed over 4,000 sales and account management representatives that identify and directly contact customers via the Internet, telephone and personal sales visits. We maintain 25 local sales offices and have also established a national sales and customer service call center in Wuhan. We train our sales staff to cross-sell all of our services and to design comprehensive packages of human resource services for clients to meet their specific requirements. In addition, we believe that the personal nature of direct marketing has enabled us to better understand the needs of our existing and prospective customers and helped us to develop new products and services.

Event Marketing. We organize customer events, such as recruiting workshops, product information seminars, industry roundtables and networking events, to provide our sales team an opportunity to personally interact with employers and understand their recruitment needs.

Online and Mobile Marketing. We utilize advertising, such as banner advertisements, keyword and hyperlink purchases, paid listings and video, to promote our brand names on the Internet and mobile marketplaces. We also conduct and sponsor online promotion campaigns such as drawings, giveaways and contests to attract traffic and enhance the loyalty of job seekers to our websites. In addition, we have developed mobile applications which can be downloaded by users for free.

Mass Media Advertising. We use traditional mass media advertising on a selective basis to increase our brand visibility and corporate image. We advertise through various media, including outdoor advertising on digital displays, billboards, bus stops and public transportation. In addition, we advertise on print media such as newspapers, magazines and industry publications.

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Cross-Marketing. We have established cross-marketing relationships between our websites and a variety of partners. In addition, we believe that we benefit from recommendations and referrals by the large base of job seekers and employers who use our websites and mobile applications.

Media Promotions. We produce surveys and analyses on job market trends and developments that are regularly featured and published in magazines, newspapers and on the Internet. We believe this exposure heightens our corporate image among both employers and job seekers and attracts interest and sales inquiries for our services.

Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights

We regard our copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights as critical to our business. We rely on trademark and copyright law, trade secret protection, non-competition and confidentiality and/or licensing agreements with our senior management, clients, contractors and others to protect our intellectual property rights. We have registered several Internet domain names, including our main website www.51job.com, as well as a number of similar and other domain names in an effort to prevent entities from diverting online traffic away from our websites.

We have registered trademarks, including前程无忧, 前程, 51job.com, 无忧工作网, 网才 and eSearch, with the Trademark Office of the SAIC in the PRC. In January 2010, 前程无忧 was designated a “Well-Known Trademark,” which is the highest recognition for consumer brands granted by the SAIC.

Under a trademark license agreement between WFOE, as licensor, and Tech JV, as licensee, Tech JV has the right to use certain trademarks in the PRC, with no right of assignment or sublicense. Under a domain name license agreement between 51net, as licensor, and Tech JV, as licensee, Tech JV has the right to use the www.51job.com domain name in connection with the operation of this website. See “Item 7. — Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions — Related Party Transactions — Contractual Arrangements Among Our Group Entities.”

Our intellectual property is subject to theft and other unauthorized use, and our ability to protect our intellectual property from unauthorized use is limited. In addition, we may in the future be subject to claims that we have infringed the intellectual property rights of others. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Business — If we are unable to prevent others from using our intellectual property, our business may be materially and adversely affected” and “— We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if successful, could cause us to pay significant damage awards.”

Regulation

Advertising agencies, human resource services firms and Internet content providers are subject to substantial regulation by the Chinese government. An “Internet content provider” is a commercial operator providing the delivery of Internet content. This section sets forth a summary of the most significant PRC regulations that affect the businesses and the industries in which we operate.

In addition to laws and regulations that apply generally to advertising agencies, human resource firms and Internet content providers, special limitations apply to foreign ownership of businesses engaged in human resource and Internet content provider services in China.

Limitations on Foreign Ownership of Our Businesses

Advertising

The principal regulation governing foreign ownership of advertising companies in China, the Administrative Regulations Concerning Foreign-Invested Advertising Enterprises (2008 Revision), was repealed on June 29, 2015. Foreign investors are allowed to own 100% of an advertising agency in China subject to certain qualification requirements. However, for those advertising agencies that provide online advertising service, foreign ownership restrictions on the value-added telecommunications business are still applicable.

Human Resource Services Companies

The principal regulation governing foreign ownership in human resource services companies in China is the Interim Regulations on the Administration of Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Venture as Human Resource Agencies (2003), as amended in 2005 and 2015, jointly promulgated by the PRC Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, or the MOHRSS, the MOFCOM and the SAIC. Under this regulation, the percentage of foreign ownership in the equity interest of a human resource services company cannot be less than 25% or more than 49%. This ownership limitation has been increased to 70% for Hong Kong service providers and Macau service providers since June 2005 and for human resource services companies registered in several locations, such as Pudong New District in Shanghai since June 2006, Zhongguancun National Innovation Demonstration Zone in Beijing since September 2014, Nanjing since December 2014, and Suzhou since April 2015. Starting from January 2008, the PRC government no longer implemented any foreign ownership percentage limitation for Hong Kong service providers and Macau service providers.

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Value-Added Telecommunications Services and Internet Content Providers

In the PRC, entities that coordinate with Internet service providers (such as telecommunications companies) to effect the online placement of content provided by either themselves or third parties are defined as “Internet content providers” and require a special license. Internet content providers are classified as value-added telecommunications businesses.

The principal regulations governing foreign ownership in Internet content providers in China include:

·                      Administrative Rules for Foreign Investments in Telecommunications Enterprises (2016 Revision), effective on February 6, 2016; and

·                      Foreign Investment Industry Guidance Catalogue (2017), effective on July 28, 2017.

Under these regulations, foreign investors, individually or in the aggregate, are prohibited from owning more than 50% of a PRC entity that provides value-added telecommunications services (except for a few businesses such as e-commerce and application store), which include the service of providing Internet content.

According to the Opinion on Further Opening Value-Added Telecommunications Services to Foreigners in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, foreign ownership in certain value-added telecommunications services providers (e.g., Internet content providers providing application store services) may exceed 50% in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone; however, service providers providing online advertising and human resource services are not included.

In addition, according to the MIIT Notice, value-added telecommunications services license holders (including their shareholders) shall directly own the domain names and registered trademarks used by such value-added telecommunications services license holders in their daily operations and is prohibited from leasing, transferring or selling the license to foreign investors in any form, and from providing any assistance in forms of resources, sites or facilities to foreign investors that conduct value-added telecommunications business illegally in China. For those who are not in compliance with the above requirements and fail to rectify the non-compliance, the relevant PRC government authorities may revoke their operating licenses. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — PRC laws and regulations governing operators of Internet websites are unclear and the regulation of the telecommunications and Internet industries may become more burdensome, and if we are found to be in violation of PRC laws and regulations, we could be subject to sanctions.”

General Regulation of Our Businesses

Advertising

The SAIC is responsible for regulating advertising activities in the PRC. The principal regulations governing advertising (including online advertising) in China include:

·                      Advertising Law (2015 Revision);

·                      Interim Measures for the Administration of Online Advertising (2016);

·                      Administration of Advertising Regulations (1987); and

·                      Provisions on the Administration of Advertisement Publishing Registration (2016).

All enterprises, except for broadcast stations, television stations, newspapers and periodical publication entities, are no longer required to apply for the registration of advertisement publishing although they are required to apply for inclusion of “advertising services” in their business licenses.

Human Resource Services

Human resource services firms in China are mainly regulated by the MOHRSS. The principal regulation applicable to human resource services firms is the Regulations on Administration of Human Resource Markets (2001, as amended in 2005 and 2015), jointly promulgated by the MOHRSS and the SAIC. Under this regulation, any entity providing human resource services in China must obtain a human resource services license from the local administration of human resources and social security at the county level and above, while any foreign-invested entity providing human resource services in China must obtain such license from the administration at the provincial level. Each of these administrations may adopt rules, with some degrees of variation among provinces, to regulate human resource services operations conducted within the province.

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Value-Added Telecommunications Services and Online Commerce

The delivery of content on our websites is subject to PRC laws and regulations applicable to telecommunications and Internet service providers. We are also within the regulatory jurisdiction of various governmental bodies, including the MIIT and the SAIC. The principal regulations applicable to the telecommunications industry and Internet include:

·                      Telecommunications Regulations (2016 Revision);

·                      The Administrative Measures for Telecommunications Business Operating Licenses (2017); and

·                      The Internet Information Services Administrative Measures (2011 Revision).

Under these regulations, the delivery of Internet content provision services is classified as a value-added telecommunications business, and a commercial operator of such services must obtain an Internet content provider license from the appropriate telecommunications authorities.

With respect to our online business, the Administrative Measure on Online Commerce promulgated by the SAIC on January 26, 2014 applies to all online commerce businesses in general, which requires all online commerce operators to register with the SAIC or its local offices. There are no PRC laws that have national applicability to online commerce specifically relating to advertising and human resource services. However, local authorities may impose requirements on online business activities conducted within its jurisdiction, such as registration or filing requirements.

With respect to our mobile applications, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, issued the Provisions on the Administration of Mobile Internet Applications Information Services on June 28, 2016, which became effective on August 1, 2016. Such regulation requires the filing of mobile applications with the CAC or its competent local counterpart and the protection of information security.

Labor and Social Insurance

Under the PRC Labor Law effective in 1995 and the PRC Labor Contract Law effective in 2008 and its amendment which became effective on July 1, 2013, a written labor contract must be executed between an employer and an employee. Labor-related regulations and rules of the PRC also stipulate the maximum number of working hours per day and per week as well as the minimum wage standards. In addition, an employer is required to establish occupational safety and sanitation systems, implement the national occupational safety and sanitation rules and standards, and provide employees with workplace safety training.

In the PRC, workers dispatched by an employment agency are normally engaged in temporary, auxiliary or substitute work. Under the PRC Labor Contract Law, an employment agency is the employer for workers dispatched by it and shall perform an employer’s obligations toward them. The employment contract between the employment agency and the dispatched workers, and the placement agreement between the employment agency and the company that receives the dispatched workers shall be in writing. Furthermore, the company that accepts the dispatched workers shall bear joint and several liability for any violation of the PRC Labor Contract Law by the employment agencies arising from their contracts with dispatched workers. The MOHRSS promulgated the Interim Provisions on Labor Dispatch, effective March 1, 2014, which clarified the use of the labor dispatch employment model, required revisions to the content in labor dispatch contracts and instituted a 10% maximum limit of dispatched workers to total workforce for companies in China while providing a two-year transition period for compliance.

An employer is obligated to sign an indefinite term labor contract with an employee if the employer continues to employ the employee after two consecutive fixed-term labor contracts and under some other circumstances. The employer also has to pay compensation to the employee if the employer terminates an indefinite term labor contract except where such employee makes certain serious faults. Except where the employer proposes to renew a labor contract by maintaining or raising the conditions of the labor contract and the employee is not agreeable to the renewal, an employer is required to compensate the employee when a definite term labor contract expires. Furthermore, under the Regulations on Paid Annual Leave for Employees issued in December 2007 and effective as of January 2008 and its implementation measures, an employee who has served an employer for more than one year and less than ten years is entitled to a 5-day paid vacation, those whose service period ranges from 10 to 20 years is entitled to a 10-day paid vacation, and those who has served for more than 20 years is entitled to a 15-day paid vacation. An employee who does not use such vacation time at the request of the employer shall be compensated at three times their normal salaries for each waived vacation day.

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Under the Regulations on Work-Related Injury Insurance effective in 2004 and amended in 2010, and the Interim Measures Concerning the Maternity Insurance for Enterprise Employees effective in 1995, PRC companies must pay work-related injury insurance premiums and maternity insurance premiums for their employees. On December 20, 2010, the State Council promulgated the amended Regulation on Work-Related Injury Insurance that became effective on January 1, 2011. The amendments to this regulation expand the scope of work-related injury to include the injury of employees caused by traffic accidents en route to or from the office not primarily attributable to the employees. Employees are entitled to certain treatments under work-related injury insurance that are calculated based on the circumstances of the work-related injury. Under the Interim Regulations on the Collection and Payment of Social Insurance Premiums effective in 1999 and the Interim Measures concerning the Administration of the Registration of Social Insurance effective in 1999, basic pension insurance, medical insurance and unemployment insurance are collectively referred to as social insurance. Both PRC companies and their employees are required to contribute to the social insurance plans. Under the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Fund effective in 1999, as amended in 2002, PRC companies must register with applicable housing fund management centers and establish a special housing fund account in an entrusted bank. Both PRC companies and their employees are required to contribute to the housing funds. On October 28, 2010, the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Social Insurance Law, which became effective on July 1, 2011. The PRC Social Insurance Law specifies that the PRC establishes a social insurance system including basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance. An employer shall pay the social insurance for its employees in accordance with the rates provided under relevant regulations and shall withhold the social insurance that should be assumed by the employees. The authorities in charge of social insurance may request an employer’s compliance and impose sanctions if such employer fails to pay and withhold social insurance in a timely manner.

Regulations Relating to Intellectual Property Rights

China has adopted comprehensive legislation governing intellectual property rights, including trademarks, patents and copyrights. China has adhered to the main international conventions on intellectual property rights and became a member of the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights upon its accession to the WTO in December 2001, the amendment of which was approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in October 2007.

The PRC Copyright Law was adopted in 1990 and amended in 2001 and 2010 to widen the scope of works that are eligible for copyright protection. The amended PRC Copyright Law extends copyright protection to cover Internet activities and products disseminated over the Internet. Copyrighted software is protected under the PRC Copyright Law and other regulations. In addition, there is a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center.

Registered trademarks are protected under the PRC Trademark Law adopted in 1982, revised in 2001 and further revised in 2013. Trademarks can be registered with the Trademark Office of the SAIC for renewable ten-year periods. Trademark license agreements are required to be filed with the Trademark Office of the SAIC for the record, and the failure to complete such filings may cause the trademark license agreements to be unenforceable against bona fide third parties.

Domain name disputes are governed by the Measures of China Internet Network Information Center for Resolving Disputes Regarding Domain Names promulgated by the Chinese Internet Network Infrastructure Center, or the CNNIC, on May 28, 2012 and effective on June 28, 2012, under which the CNNIC can authorize domain name dispute resolution institutions to decide disputes.

Regulations Relating to Internet Privacy and Information Security

The PRC Constitution provides that PRC law protects the freedom and privacy of communications of citizens and that infringement of such rights is not permitted. While PRC laws do not prohibit Internet content providers from collecting and using personal information of their users, such collection and use is subject to the users’ prior consent. Also, the relevant government authorities have enacted legislation on the use of the Internet that recognizes the protection of personal information from unauthorized disclosure. Under the Regulation on Internet Information Service, Internet information service providers are prohibited from producing, copying, publishing or distributing information that is humiliating or slanderous to others or that trespasses the lawful rights and interests of others. Depending on the nature of their violation, Internet content providers that violate this provision may face criminal charges or be sanctioned by security authorities. In addition, they may be ordered to temporarily suspend their service, or their licenses may be revoked.

Under the Several Provisions on Regulating the Market Order of Internet Information Services effective in March 2012, without the consent of users, Internet information service providers shall not collect personal information of users or provide such information to others. Where the Internet information service providers obtain the consent of users, it shall clearly inform users of the methods, contents and purposes for collecting and processing the personal information of users, and it shall not collect the information unnecessary for providing services, and nor use the personal information of users for purposes other than providing services.

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Under the Decision of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on Strengthening Information Protection on Networks effective in December 2012, Internet service providers and other enterprises and institutions shall, when gathering and using electronic personal information of citizens in business activities, adhere to the principles of legality and rationality to necessarily, explicitly state the purposes, manners and scopes of collecting and using information, and obtain the consent of those from whom information is collected, and shall not collect and use information in violation of laws, regulations or the agreement between both sides. Internet service providers and other enterprises and institutions shall, when gathering and using electronic personal information of citizens, publish their collection and use rules.

Under the Provisions on Protecting the Personal Information of Telecommunications and Internet Users effective in September 2013, telecommunications services operators and Internet information services providers shall formulate the rules for collection and use of users’ personal information and publish such rules in their business or service premises or on their websites. Without the consent of users, no telecommunications services operator or Internet information services provider may collect and use users’ personal information. When collecting and using users’ personal information, telecommunications services operators and Internet information services providers shall clearly inform users of the purpose, manner and scope for collection and use of information, the channels for inquiry and correction of information, the consequences from refusal to provide information and other relevant matters. Telecommunications services operators and Internet information services providers shall not collect users’ personal information other than that necessary for providing services, or use information for purposes other than the provision of services; and shall not collect and use information by fraud, misleading, coercion or any other means or in violation of laws, administrative regulations or agreements between both sides.

Under the Provisions on the Administration of Account Names of Internet Users effective in March 2015, Internet information service providers shall protect the users’ information and privacy of citizens and conduct identity verification of individuals before account registration. Under the Provisions on the Administration of Communications Short Message Services effective in June 2015, short message service providers and short message content providers shall not send commercial short messages to users without the users’ consent or request, or shall stop sending such short messages to users when the latter clearly present their refusal after their consent.

Under the PRC Advertising Law, the amendment of which became effective in September 2015, without the consent or request of the recipient, no entity or individual may send advertisements to the recipient’s residence or vehicle, among others, or send advertisements in the form of electronic information. Where an advertisement is sent in the form of electronic information, the sender’s true identity and contact information shall be explicitly indicated, and the sender shall provide the recipient with a method for the recipient to discontinue receiving such advertisements. Under the PRC Counter-Terrorism Law, which became effective in January 2016, Internet service providers shall conduct identity verification of individuals.

Under the PRC Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017, Internet product and service providers shall explicitly notify their users and obtain their consent for collection and use of personal information. If any user’s personal information is involved, the provider shall also comply with the provisions of relevant laws and administrative regulations on the protection of personal information. Personal information and important data collected and produced by critical information infrastructure operators during their operations within the territory of China shall be stored within China. However, the PRC Cyber Security Law does not provide a detailed standard to classify “critical information infrastructure operators.”

To comply with these regulations, we provide users of our websites and mobile applications with a range of confidentiality, communications and information sharing options. They may choose to authorize us to disclose their personal information to third parties, or to instruct us to keep this information strictly confidential. Our systems are designed to maintain information received from these users in accordance with their instructions.

However, the PRC government retains the power and authority to order Internet content providers to turn over personal information of Internet users if the users post any prohibited content or engage in illegal activities on the Internet.

Regulations Relating to Internet Publishing

The Administrative Provisions on Online Publishing Services, or the Online Publishing Provisions, was jointly issued by the MIIT and the PRC State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, or the SAPPRFT, in 2016, and came into effect on March 10, 2016. The Online Publishing Provisions define “online publishing services” as providing online publications to the public through information networks. Any online publishing services provided in the territory of the PRC are subject to these provisions. The Online Publishing Provisions require any Internet publishing services provider to obtain an online publishing service license to engage in online publishing services. Under the Online Publishing Provisions, online publications refer to digital works which have publishing features, such as digital works that have been edited, produced or processed and which are made available to the public through information networks, including written works, pictures, maps, games, cartoons, audio/video reading materials and other methods. Any online game shall obtain approval from the SAPPRFT before it is launched online. Furthermore, Sino-foreign equity joint ventures, Sino-foreign cooperative joint ventures and wholly foreign owned enterprises cannot engage in providing web publishing services.

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We do not believe the activities we engage in on our websites constitute “Internet publishing activities” as such term is used in the Online Publishing Provisions. As a result, we have not applied or obtained an Internet publishing license. However, in the event that our activities are deemed to be “Internet publishing,” we may be required to obtain approval from the relevant PRC authorities. If we are deemed to be in breach of the Internet publishing regulations, the relevant PRC authorities may seize the related equipment and servers used primarily for such activities and confiscate any revenues generated from such activities. In addition, the relevant PRC authorities may also impose fines.

Regulations Relating to Foreign Currency Exchange

The principal regulations governing foreign currency exchange in the PRC are the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, as amended in August 2008, and the Administration Rules of the Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange. Under these regulations, the Renminbi is freely convertible for payments of current account items, such as trade and service related foreign exchange transactions and dividend payments, but not for expenses of capital, such as direct investment, loan or investment in securities, outside the PRC unless the prior approval of the SAFE is obtained and prior registration with the SAFE is made.

Under the Foreign Exchange Administration Regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC may purchase or remit foreign exchange without the approval of the SAFE for trade and service related foreign exchange transactions by providing commercial documents evidencing these transactions. They may also retain foreign exchange (subject to a cap approved by the SAFE) to satisfy foreign exchange liabilities or to pay dividends. However, the relevant PRC government authorities, which have significant administrative discretion in implementing the laws, may restrict or eliminate the ability of foreign-invested enterprises to purchase and retain foreign currencies in the future. In addition, foreign exchange transactions involving direct investment, loan and investment in securities outside the PRC are subject to limitations and require approvals from the SAFE.

Under the Administration Rules of the Settlement, Sale and Payment of Foreign Exchange effective in 1996, foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell and/or remit foreign currencies at banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange business after providing valid supporting documents and, in the case of capital account item transactions, obtaining approval from the SAFE or its competent local counterpart.

The SAFE promulgated the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Regarding Administration Improvement of Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or Circular 142, on August 29, 2008. Under Circular 142, registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise settled in Renminbi converted from foreign currencies may only be used within the business scope approved by the applicable governmental authority and may not be used for equity investments in the PRC. In addition, foreign-invested enterprises may not change how they use such capital without the SAFE’s approval, and may not in any case use such capital to repay Renminbi loans if they have not used the proceeds of such loans.

The SAFE promulgated the Notice of the SAFE on Reforming the Administrative Approach Regarding the Settlement of the Foreign Exchange Capitals of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or Circular 19, on June 1, 2015, which superseded Circular 142. Under Circular 19, foreign-invested enterprises are allowed to settle 100% of their capital in foreign currencies in Renminbi on a discretionary basis. The Renminbi obtained by foreign-invested enterprises from the discretionary settlement of their capital in foreign currencies shall be managed under the accounts for foreign exchange settlement pending payment, and foreign-invested enterprises shall make various payments from such account for the following scope of use: expenditure within the business scope, payment for domestic equity investment and Renminbi deposits, transfers to the special centralized fund management account and the Account for Foreign Exchange Settlement Pending Payment under the same name, repayment of the Renminbi loans that have been fully used, repayment of external debts directly or by foreign exchange purchase and payment, external payment of funds to foreign investors due to capital reduction or divestment directly or by foreign exchange purchase and payment, external payment of current account expenditure directly or by foreign exchange purchase and payment, and other capital account expenditure registered by the relevant foreign exchange bureau (bank) or approved by the relevant foreign exchange bureau. Foreign-invested enterprises shall not use their capital and the Renminbi obtained from foreign exchange settlement for any of the following purposes: direct or indirect use for expenditure beyond its business scope or expenditure prohibited by the PRC laws and regulations; directly or indirect use for investment in securities, unless otherwise prescribed by laws and regulations; directly or indirect use for granting entrusted loans (unless permitted under its business scope), repaying inter-company loans (including third party advances) and repaying Renminbi bank loans that have been transferred to a third party; or use for the expenses related to the purchase of real estate not for self-use, unless it is a foreign-invested real estate enterprise. Circular 19 may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business in the PRC.

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The SAFE promulgated the Notice of the SAFE on Reforming and Standardizing the Administrative Provisions on Capital Account Foreign Exchange Settlement, or Circular 16, on June 9, 2016. Under Circular 16, onshore enterprises (including Chinese-funded enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, excluding financial institutions) may all settle their external debts in foreign currencies according to the method of voluntary foreign exchange settlement. The banks shall, in handling each transaction of foreign exchange settlement for an onshore enterprise according to the principle of payment-based foreign exchange settlement, review the authenticity and compliance of the use by the domestic institution of the foreign exchange funds settled in the previous transaction (including voluntary settlement and payment-based settlement). The earnings and expenditures of the account for foreign exchange settlement pending payment are limited to certain scope. The use of foreign exchange earnings under capital account shall be within the enterprise’s business scope and in a truthful manner for proprietary purposes.

Regulations Relating to Foreign Exchange Registration of Offshore Investment by PRC Residents

Under Circular 75 issued on October 21, 2005, (i) a PRC resident, including a PRC resident natural person (e.g., a PRC citizen or a foreign citizen who resides primarily in China), shall register with the local branch of the SAFE before it establishes or controls an overseas special purpose vehicle for the purpose of overseas equity financing (including convertible debt financing); (ii) when a PRC resident contributes the assets of or its equity interests in a domestic enterprise to an overseas special purpose vehicle, or engages in overseas financing after contributing assets or equity interests to an overseas special purpose vehicle, such PRC resident shall register his or her interest in the overseas special purpose vehicle and the change thereof with the local SAFE branch; and (iii) when the overseas special purpose vehicle undergoes a material event outside of China, such as a change in share capital, or merger or acquisition, the PRC resident shall, within 30 days of the occurrence of such event, register such change with the local SAFE branch. PRC residents who are shareholders of overseas special purpose vehicles established before November 1, 2005 were required to register with the local SAFE branch before March 31, 2006.

The SAFE promulgated Circular 37 on July 4, 2014, which superseded Circular 75. Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of the 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 Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.” Circular 37 further requires amendment to the registration in the event of 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. According to Circular 13 issued by the SAFE on February 13, 2015, starting from June 1, 2015, all new such registrations required under Circular 37 (other than make-up registrations) will be handled by qualified banks instead of the local SAFE branches. The qualified banks, under the supervision of the SAFE, will directly review the applications and process the registration.

Under Circular 37, in the event that a PRC shareholder holding interests in a special purpose vehicle fails to fulfill the required SAFE registration, the PRC subsidiaries of that special purpose vehicle may be prohibited from making profit distributions to the offshore parent and from carrying out subsequent cross-border foreign exchange activities, and the special purpose vehicle may be restricted in its ability to contribute additional capital into its PRC subsidiary. Moreover, failure to comply with the various SAFE registration requirements described above could result in liability under PRC law for evasion of foreign exchange controls. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may increase our administrative burden and adversely impact our business and prospects.”

Regulations Relating to Employee Stock Option Plans

On December 25, 2006, the People’s Bank of China promulgated the Measures for the Administration of Individual Foreign Exchange, and on January 5, 2007, the SAFE further promulgated the implementation rules on those measures. Both became effective on February 1, 2007. According to the implementation rules, if individuals in the PRC participate in any employee stock ownership plan or stock option plan of an overseas-listed company, those individuals must apply as a group through the company or a domestic agency to the SAFE or the appropriate local branch for approval for any foreign exchange-related transactions concerning that plan.

On March 28, 2007, the SAFE promulgated the Stock Option Rule. Under the Stock Option Rule, PRC citizens who are granted stock options by an overseas-listed company are required, through a PRC agent or PRC subsidiary of such overseas-listed company, to register with the SAFE and complete certain other procedures.

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On February 15, 2012, the SAFE promulgated the New Stock Option Rule. Upon the effectiveness of the New Stock Option Rule on February 15, 2012, the Stock Option Rule became void, although the basic requirements and procedures provided under the Stock Option Rule are kept unchanged in the New Stock Option Rule, i.e., the domestic employees participating in stock incentive plan of an overseas-listed company shall appoint the PRC subsidiary of the overseas-listed company or a domestic qualified agent to make the registration of the stock incentive plan with the SAFE and handle all foreign exchange-related matters of the stock incentive plan through the special bank account approved by the SAFE. The New Stock Option Rule clarifies that the domestic subsidiary of an overseas-listed company shall include the limited liability company, partnership and the representative office directly or indirectly established by such overseas-listed company in China and the domestic employees shall include the directors, supervisors, the senior management and other employees of the domestic subsidiary, including the foreign employees of the domestic subsidiary who continuously reside in China for no less than one year.

Similar to the Stock Option Rule, the New Stock Option Rule requires that the annual allowance with respect to the purchase of foreign exchange in connection with stock holding or stock option exercises shall be subject to the approval of the SAFE. The New Stock Option Rule further requires that the material amendments of the stock incentive plan shall be filed with the SAFE within three months following the occurrence of the material amendments. The domestic agent shall also make a quarterly update to the SAFE to disclose the information with respect to the stock option exercises, the stock holding and foreign exchange matters. If the domestic employees or the domestic agent fails to comply with the requirements of the New Stock Option Rule, the SAFE may require the remedy and even impose administrative penalties that the SAFE deems appropriate.

In addition, the SAT has issued circulars concerning employee share options. Under these circulars, individuals working in China who exercise share options will be subject to PRC individual income tax. We have obligations to file documents related to employee share options with relevant tax authorities and withhold the individual income taxes of employees who exercise their share options.

Regulations Relating to Dividend Distribution

The principal regulations governing distribution of dividends paid by wholly foreign owned enterprises and Sino-foreign equity joint ventures include:

·                      Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise Law (1986), as amended;

·                      Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1990), as amended;

·                      Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law (1979), as amended;

·                      Sino-Foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law Implementing Rules (1983), as amended; and

·                      PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its Implementation Rules (2007), amended in 2017.

Under these regulations, foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC may pay dividends only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, foreign-invested enterprises in the PRC are required to set aside certain amounts out of their accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.

C.                Organizational Structure

The following chart illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal operating subsidiaries and consolidated affiliated entities as of the date of this annual report.

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(1)             Acquired in December 2017. Includes Lagou Information HongKong Limited, a wholly owned Hong Kong subsidiary, which is the shareholder of Beijing Lagou Science and Technology Co, Ltd., a PRC wholly foreign owned enterprise.

(2)             Includes Shanghai Wang Ju Human Resource Consulting Co., Ltd., incorporated in the PRC, which conducts human resource services and is 70% owned by 51net HR and 30% owned by Run An.

(3)             In addition, 51net directly or indirectly wholly owns three PRC subsidiaries which have no current operations: Shanghai Wang Ju Advertising Co., Ltd.; Wang Jin Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; and Wuhan Wang Cai Information Technology Co., Ltd.

(4)             Includes six PRC subsidiaries of Tech JV: Shanghai Qianjin Zhong Cheng Human Resources Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary which conducts human resource services; Shanghai Yishu Information Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary which conducts online recruitment services; Shanghai Pinyi Information Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary which conducts online recruitment services; Shanghai Qianjin Advertising Co., Ltd., an 80% owned subsidiary which conducts advertising services; Shanghai Wang Cai Advertising Co., Ltd., a subsidiary jointly owned by Shanghai Qianjin Advertising Co., Ltd. and Tech JV which conducts advertising services; and Beijing Zhiding Youyuan Management Consulting Co., Ltd., a 60% owned subsidiary which conducts human resource services.

(5)             Includes Beijing Lagou Network Technology Co., Ltd., a 60% owned PRC subsidiary which conducts online recruitment services.

(6)             Includes Qianjin Zhong Cheng Technology (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., a wholly owned PRC subsidiary which has no current operations.

Our subsidiary, 51net, directly holds 50% of the outstanding shares of Tech JV, Qian Cheng directly holds 1% of the outstanding shares of Tech JV, and Wuhan AdCo directly holds the remaining 49% of the outstanding shares of Tech JV. As a result of Qian Cheng’s ownership of Wuhan AdCo, each of 51net and Qian Cheng effectively holds 50% of the equity interest in Tech JV.

Our services are principally provided through Tech JV and its subsidiaries, which hold licenses to provide online advertising services, human resource related services and information services via the Internet and mobile networks.

Tech JV and its subsidiaries recognize most of our revenues and receive most of the cash payments from our clients. Our relationships with Qian Cheng and Run An, our affiliated entities, have been governed by a series of agreements, under which we have borne all of the economic risks and received all of the economic rewards in these affiliated entities. In addition, through a call option agreement between 51net and Qian Cheng, 51net or its designee is able to purchase the equity interests in Tech JV that are held by Qian Cheng and Wuhan AdCo as well as the equity interest in AdCo that is held by Qian Cheng. As a result, the historical financial results of these entities have been consolidated in our financial statements. For a discussion on the contractual arrangements among our entities, see “Item 7. — Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions — Related Party Transactions — Contractual Arrangements Among Our Group Entities.”

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We have been advised by Jun He Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel, that:

·                      our current ownership structure is in compliance with existing PRC laws and regulations;

·                      the agreements among our subsidiaries, affiliated entities and their respective shareholders are valid and binding, and are enforceable under, and will not result in any violation of, existing PRC laws or regulations, with exception to the trademark license agreement, which may not be enforceable against bona fide third parties until registration with the relevant trademark administration authorities; and

·                      except as otherwise disclosed herein, our current business operations as described in this annual report are not in violation of existing PRC laws, rules and regulations in all material aspects.

There are, however, 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 in the event of the imposition of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy and criminal proceedings. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that PRC regulatory authorities will not take a view contrary to that of our PRC legal counsel. See “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure — The PRC laws and regulations governing our business operations and contractual arrangements are uncertain, and if we are found to be in violation, we could be subject to sanctions” and “— Risks Related to Doing Business in China — The PRC legal system has inherent uncertainties that could materially and adversely affect us.”

We intend to continue to evaluate from time to time the PRC regulatory environment with respect to the foreign ownership of human resource related services and value-added communications services, and plan to continue to streamline our ownership structure and operations as and when permitted by PRC laws and regulations.

D.                Property, Plants and Equipment

Our executive offices as well as our principal marketing and development facilities, comprising approximately 12,600 square meters, are currently located at No. 1387, Zhang Dong Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic of China. We operate a national sales and customer service call center with a total floor area of approximately 18,840 square meters across two locations in Wuhan. We also maintain a large sales office in downtown Shanghai comprising approximately 3,230 square meters. In addition, we lease space for our network of sales offices in Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dongguan, Foshan, Fuzhou, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Harbin, Hefei, Jinan, Kunming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xian and Zhengzhou. As of the date of this annual report, we have leases for office space totaling approximately 40,200 square meters. We believe that we will be able to obtain adequate facilities to accommodate our expansion plans in the near future.

In April 2015, we completed the acquisition of office space in Shanghai to accommodate our growing business operations. The purchase price was RMB43.8 million and was funded from our existing cash resources.

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 consolidated financial statements and their related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. — Key Information — Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual report.

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A.                Operating Results

Overview

We believe that we are a leading nationwide provider of integrated human resource services in China. We offer recruitment advertising services which include online recruitment and, historically, print advertising services. We also provide other complementary human resource related services, consisting primarily of business process outsourcing, training, campus recruitment and placement services. We aim to be a “one-stop” solution to human resource departments by providing recruitment and other human resource related services to employers.

For the year ended December 31, 2017, our online recruitment services generated approximately 65% of our revenues with the remaining 35% from our other human resource related services.

Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

The major factors affecting our results of operations and financial condition include:

·                      Growth of the Chinese Economy and Demand for Human Resource Services in China. China’s rapid economic growth has served as an important catalyst for the development of the human resource services industry. In addition, the proliferation of new enterprises has led to increased market liberalization and competition. As a result, companies in China are increasingly recognizing the need for improved recruitment processes and talent management, which has driven the demand for human resource services.

We expect that our financial results will continue to be affected by the overall growth of the Chinese economy and market demand for human resource services, in particular recruitment services. Impacted by the global economic and financial market crisis in 2008 and 2009, the Chinese economy experienced a slowdown in economic activity, and we experienced a period of negative or lower revenue growth rates, decrease in customer spending and contraction in operating margins. Recently, the growth rate of China’s gross domestic product slowed in 2014, 2015 and 2016. If there are slowdowns or other adverse developments in China’s economic growth, we may experience material changes in market demand and customer spending, each of which would adversely affect our financial condition and operating results, such as negative or lower revenue growth rates, margin contraction and decreased profitability.

·                      Changes in the Composition of the Chinese Labor Market. As the Chinese economy grows, we believe that China is developing a large skilled and educated labor force. This growing skilled and educated work force is a key segment targeted by employers who use our human resource services as they seek to attract and retain talent to build a competitive advantage. In addition, China’s large labor force is increasingly migrating toward urban centers due to continuing economic development and employer demand. As a result, major metropolitan areas have become the foundation for the growing human resource services industry in China. For this reason, we have established sales offices in 25 cities across China and cover 171 additional geographies through a national sales and customer service call center. We believe these changes in the composition of the Chinese labor market toward a larger, better skilled and urbanized work force will increase the number of job seekers and employers who utilize our human resource services.

·                      Seasonality in the Human Resource Services Market. The human resource services industry is characterized by seasonal fluctuations. Accordingly, these fluctuations, particularly in the seasonal peak recruitment periods following the Chinese New Year holiday in the first quarter and the National Day holiday in October, may cause our results to vary from quarter to quarter. During seasonal peak periods, demand for recruitment advertising and other human resource related services may or may not rise significantly depending on the needs of employers as well as their perceptions of the job market. In addition, the Chinese New Year holiday is based on the lunar calendar, which varies from year to year and affects our first quarter results and their comparability to financial results of the same quarter in prior years. We have usually observed seasonal campus recruitment activity by employers in the fourth quarter of each year but also a general slowdown in overall recruitment activity at calendar year end.

·                      Increasing Acceptance of New Recruitment Channels and Human Resource Services. While we have experienced growth in our recruitment advertising services, the use of advertising services to recruit employees has a limited history in China. In addition, we believe that the concept and use of business process outsourcing, training and assessment services is relatively new in China. Therefore, our ability to successfully increase employer acceptance and adoption of our services materially affects our results of operations.

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·                      Growing Use of the Internet as a Platform for Providing Human Resource Services. Our results of operations from our online recruitment services in particular will depend upon the continuing increase in Internet penetration and use. According to the CNNIC, the number of Internet users in China has increased from approximately 79 million in 2003 to approximately 772 million in 2017, ranking China as the largest market of Internet users in the world. We believe that further development of China’s technology infrastructure, more affordable and diversified means of Internet access, and expanding ownership of personal computers, mobile phones and other devices with Internet capabilities will connect an increasingly larger group of job seekers and employers across a wider geographical area as well as facilitate the use of a web-based platform for the delivery of human resource services.

Revenues

A significant majority of our revenues come from employers who purchase our recruitment advertising services, primarily our online recruitment services. We also provide other complementary human resource related services, consisting primarily of business process outsourcing, training, campus recruitment and placement services.

The following table sets forth the revenues from our principal lines of business as a percentage of our total revenues for the periods indicated.

The following table sets forth our revenue growth rates by business line for the periods indicated.