SCHEDULE 14A
Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934
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JF China Region Fund, Inc.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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/s/ The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer |
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer |
Chairman |
(1) | to elect one (1) Director of the Fund, to hold office for the term indicated and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified; and |
(2) | to consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
/s/ Lucy Dina |
Lucy Dina Secretary |
(1) | to elect one (1) Director of the Fund, to hold office for the term indicated and until his successor shall have been elected and qualified; and |
(2) | to consider and act upon such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
Title of Class | Name and Address | Number of Shares | Percent of Class1 |
Common Stock | CEDE & Co. c/o The Depository Trust Company Box 20 New York, New York 10004-9998 | 6,400,261 | 99.26% |
Common Stock | City of London Investment Group PLC2 77 Gracechurch Street London, EC3V 0AS England | 2,463,088 | 38.20% |
Common Stock | Lazard Asset Management LLC3 30 Rockefeller Plaza 59th Floor New York, New York 10112 | 1,294,972 | 20.08% |
1 | Because some or all of the shares attributed to CEDE & Co. may be held through The Depository Trust Company by City of London Investment Group PLC and/or Lazard Asset Management LLC, the total percentage in this column may exceed 100%. |
2 | Information as to beneficial ownership of City of London Investment Group PLC is based on a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 14, 2014. |
3 | Information as to beneficial ownership of Lazard Asset Management LLC is based on a report filed with the SEC on June 19, 2013. |
Title of Class | Name and Address | Number of Shares | Percent of Class* |
Common Stock | The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | 7,160 | 0.11% |
Alexander R. Hamilton P.O. Box 12343 General Post Office Hong Kong | 651 | 0.01% | |
Julian M.I. Reid (Nominee) 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | 632 | 0.01% | |
John R. Rettberg 1 Beacon Street 18th Floor Boston MA, 02108 USA | 500 | 0.01% | |
Simon J. Crinage 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | — | — | |
Michael J. James 21st Floor, Chater House 8 Connaught Road Central Hong Kong | — | — | |
Lucy Dina 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | — | — | |
Muriel Y.K. Sung 21st Floor, Chater House 8 Connaught Road Central Hong Kong | — | — | |
All Directors and Officers as a Group* | 8,943 | 0.14% |
* | The holdings of each director and officer, and the nominee and the holdings of all directors and officers, and the nominee as a group does not exceed 1% of the Fund’s outstanding common stock. The holdings of each director and officer of shares of JF International Management Inc. (the “Investment Advisor” or “JFIMI”) and its affiliates do not exceed 1% of the value of the Investment Advisor or its affiliates. |
Name, Address and DOB | Position(s) Held with Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Director* | Other Directorships Held by Director During the Past Five Years |
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OR NOMINEE | |||||
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer (June 3, 1946) 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | Chairman and Class I Director | Three year term ends in 2015; Chairman and Director since 1994 | Chairman of the Board of the Fund; Chairman of the Board, Western Provident Association (insurance), LG India Plus Fund Ltd (financial); Pedder Street Asia Absolute Return Fund Limited (financial); LG Asia Plus Fund Limited (financial); Director, Cheetah Korea Fund Ltd (financial) and Chief Executive Officer, Cromer Associates Limited (family business). | 1 | See Principal Occupation |
Name, Address and DOB | Position(s) Held with Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Director* | Other Directorships Held by Director During the Past Five Years |
Alexander R. Hamilton (October 4, 1941) P.O. Box 12343 General Post Office Hong Kong | Class II Director | Three year term ends in 2016; Director since 1994 | Director of Citic Pacific Limited (infrastructure), Cosco International Holdings Limited (shipping); Esprit Holdings Limited (clothing retail), Shangri-La Asia Limited (hotels) and Octopus Cards Limited (financial services). Former Director of China Cosco Holdings Co. Limited (shipping) (retired May 2011). | 1 | See Principal Occupation |
John R. Rettberg (September 1, 1937) 1 Beacon Street 18th Floor Boston MA, 02108 USA | Class II Director | Three year term ends in 2016; Director since 2008 | Former Trustee, JPMorgan Alternative Products mutual fund Board (1997 to 2009). | 1 | See Principal Occupation |
Name, Address and DOB | Position(s) Held with Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Director* | Other Directorships Held by Director During the Past Five Years |
Julian M.I. Reid (Nominee) (August 7, 1944) 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | Class III Director | Three year term ends in 2014; Director since 1998 | Chief Executive Officer of 3a Funds Group (financial); Director and Chairman of Morgan’s Walk Properties Limited (property), Director and Chairman of The Korea Fund, Inc. (financial); Director and Chairman of Prosperity Voskhod Fund (financial); Director and Chairman of ASA Limited (financial) and Director of J M Properties Limited (property). | 1 | See Principal Occupation |
INTERESTED DIRECTOR | |||||
Simon J. Crinage (May 10, 1965) 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | President and Class I Director | Three year term ends in 2015; Director since 2009; President since 2003** | Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. | 1 | Director of The Association of Investment Companies Limited. |
OFFICERS WHO ARE NOT DIRECTORS | |||||
Michael J. James (May 11, 1967) 21st Floor, 8 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong | Treasurer | Since 2006** | Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. | N/A | N/A |
Lucy Dina (January 15, 1977) 60 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0JP United Kingdom | Secretary | Since 2013** | Associate, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. | N/A | N/A |
Name, Address and DOB | Position(s) Held with Fund | Term of Office and Length of Time Served | Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years | Number of Funds in Fund Complex Overseen by Director* | Other Directorships Held by Director During the Past Five Years |
Muriel Y.K. Sung (September 25, 1966) 21st Floor, 8 Connaught Road Central, Hong Kong | Chief Compliance Officer | Since 2004** | Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Asset Management. | N/A | N/A |
* | The Fund is the sole fund in the fund complex. |
** | The officers of the Fund serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors. |
Name of Director | Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund1 |
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS2 | |
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer | $10,0001 - $50,000 |
Alexander R. Hamilton | $1 - $10,000 |
Julian M.I. Reid | $1 - $10,000 |
John R. Rettberg | $1 - $10,000 |
INTERESTED DIRECTOR3 | |
Simon J. Crinage | — |
1 | Valuation as of March 14, 2014. |
2 | “Independent Directors” is defined as those directors who are not “interested persons” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). |
3 | “Interested” is defined within the meaning of Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. |
Name of Person, Position | Fees earned or paid in cash (S) by the Fund | Stock Awards ($) | Options Awards ($) | Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation ($) | Chance in pension value and nonqualified deferred compensation earnings ($)* | All other compensation ($) | Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement* | Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex Paid to Directors |
INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS | ||||||||
The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer, Chairman and Director | $59,750 | None | None | None | None | None | None | $59,750 |
Alexander R. Hamilton, Director | $53,250 | None | None | None | None | None | None | $53,250 |
Julian M.I. Reid, Director | $48,850 | None | None | None | None | None | None | $48,850 |
John R. Rettberg, Director | $47,200 | None | None | None | None | None | None | $47,200 |
INTERESTED DIRECTOR | ||||||||
Simon J. Crinage | Nil | None | None | None | None | None | None | Nil |
Total | $209,050 | None | None | None | None | None | None | $209,050 |
* | The directors of the Fund do not receive any pension or retirement benefits from the Fund or the Fund’s Investment Advisor. |
(1) | Membership and Role of the Audit Committee |
(2) | Review of the Fund’s Audited Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2013 |
Fiscal Year Ended December 31 | Audit Fees | Audit-Related Fees | Tax Fees | All Other Fees | ||||
2012 | $52,000 | $10,500 | $8,500 | – | ||||
2013 | $53,000 | $11,000 | $8,750 | – |
• | The annual investment advisory fee rate paid by the Fund to JFIMI for investment advisory services was reasonable relative to the Fund’s peer group and relative to other non-U.S. funds managed by JFIMI. |
• | The Committee and the Board of Directors were generally satisfied with the nature, quality and extent of other services provided by JFIMI. In reaching this conclusion, the Committee and the Board reviewed, among other things, JFIMI’s investment experience in the China region markets and the background and experience of JFIMI’s senior management. |
• | The Fund’s performance, particularly in the one (1) year period, was improving as compared to the Fund’s peer group and had outperformed its benchmark, the MSCI Golden Dragon Index. (The Board of Directors and the Committee reviewed the Fund’s performance in comparison to the peer group and the benchmark for the 1 year, 3 year, 5 year and since inception periods.) Although three (3) year and five (5) year performance lagged, it was noted that for certain longer-term periods, the Fund’s performance surpassed the benchmark. The Board of Directors and Committee noted that the Investment Advisor had made steady progress on implementing a strategic repositioning of the portfolio with the Board of Directors and Committee’s full support. |
• | In light of the costs of providing advisory services to the Fund, the profits and ancillary benefits that JFIMI received, with respect to providing investment advisory services to the Fund, were reasonable. The Board of Directors and the Committee noted that beginning in May 2005, the Fund discontinued using JFIMI’s affiliates to effect Fund securities trades, unless in exceptional circumstances, effectively eliminating brokerage commissions as an ancillary benefit for JFIMI. |
• | The Fund’s expense ratio remained at an acceptable level. |