IMPORTANT If you are in any doubt about this prospectus, you should consult your stockbroker, bank manager, solicitor, professional accountant or other professional adviser. (Incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability under the Companies Ordinance) GLOBAL OFFERING Number of Offer Shares in the Global Offering: 2,298,435,000 (subject to adjustment and the Over-allotment Option) Number of Hong Kong OÅer Shares: 229,843,500 (subject to adjustment) Maximum OÅer Price: HK$9.50 per OÅer Share payable in full on application in Hong Kong dollars, subject to refund Nominal Value: HK$5.00 per Share Stock Code: 2388 Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners BOC International Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. UBS Warburg Holdings Limited Joint Sponsors BOCI Asia Limited Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C. UBS Warburg Asia Limited The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this prospectus, make no representation as to its accuracy or completeness and expressly disclaim any liability whatsoever for any loss howsoever arising from or in reliance upon the whole or any part of the contents of this prospectus. A copy of this prospectus, together with the documents speciÑed in the section headed ""Documents Delivered to the Registrar of Companies'' in Appendix VIII, has been registered by the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong as required by Section 38D of the Companies Ordinance, Chapter 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong. The Securities and Futures Commission and the Registrar of Companies in Hong Kong take no responsibility as to the contents of this prospectus or any other document referred to above. The OÅer Price is expected to be Ñxed by agreement among the Joint Global Coordinators (on behalf of the Hong Kong Underwriters and the International Purchasers), BOC and the Selling Shareholder, after consultation with the Company, on the Price Determination Date. The Price Determination Date is expected to be on or before July 20, 2002. The OÅer Price will be not more than HK$9.50 per OÅer Share and is currently expected to be not less than HK$6.93 per OÅer Share. The Joint Global Coordinators (on behalf of the Hong Kong Underwriters and the International Purchasers) may, with the consent of BOC, the Selling Shareholder and the Company, reduce the number of OÅer Shares and/or the indicative OÅer Price range below that stated in this prospectus (which is HK$6.93 to HK$9.50 per OÅer Share) at any time prior to the morning of the last day for lodging applications in the Hong Kong Public OÅering. In such a case, a notice of the reduction in the number of OÅer Shares and/or the indicative OÅer Price range will be published in the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Economic Times and the Hong Kong Economic Journal not later than the morning of the last day for lodging applications in the Hong Kong Public OÅering. Applicants in the Hong Kong Public OÅering should note that in no circumstances can applications be withdrawn once submitted, even if the number of OÅer Shares and/or the OÅer Price range is subsequently so reduced. Investors applying for Hong Kong OÅer Shares must pay the maximum price of HK$9.50 per Hong Kong OÅer Share, together with brokerage of 1%, the Securities and Futures Commission transaction levy of 0.007% and the Stock Exchange trading fee of 0.005%, subject to refund if the Ñnal OÅer Price determined as described above should be lower than the maximum OÅer Price. If, for any reason, the OÅer Price is not agreed among the Joint Global Coordinators (on behalf of the Hong Kong Underwriters and the International Purchasers), BOC and the Selling Shareholder, after consultation with the Company, on or before July 20, 2002, the Global OÅering will not proceed. July 15, 2002 EXPECTED TIMETABLE(1) Latest time to lodge PINK Application Forms ÏÏÏÏÏ 12:00 noon, Wednesday, July 17, 2002 Application lists open(2) ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 11:45 a.m., Thursday, July 18, 2002 Latest time to lodge WHITE, BLUE and YELLOW Application FormsÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 12:00 noon, Thursday, July 18, 2002 Application lists close ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 12:00 noon, Thursday, July 18, 2002 Price Determination Date on or before(3)ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ Saturday, July 20, 2002 Announcement of the OÅer Price, the level of indications of interest in the International OÅering, the level of applications in the Hong Kong Public OÅering, the basis of allocations of the Hong Kong OÅer Shares and the Ñnal number of Hong Kong OÅer Shares comprised in the Hong Kong Public OÅering, Pool A and Pool B, respectively, to be published in the South China Morning Post, the Hong Kong Economic Times and the Hong Kong Economic Journal on ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ Tuesday, July 23, 2002 Results of allocations of the Hong Kong OÅer Shares to be available through a variety of channels (further details are set out in the section headed ""Prospectus, Application Forms and Results of Allocations'') available from ÏÏÏÏ Tuesday, July 23, 2002 Share certiÑcates to be despatched on or before(4)(5) ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ Tuesday, July 23, 2002 Dealings in the Shares on the Stock Exchange expected to commence on ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ Thursday, July 25, 2002 Refund cheques to be despatched on or before(6) Thursday, July 25, 2002 (1) All times refer to Hong Kong local time, except as otherwise stated. Details of the structure of the Global OÅering, including its conditions, are set out in the section headed ""Structure of the Global OÅering''. (2) If there is a tropical cyclone warning signal number 8 or above or a ""black'' rainstorm warning in force in Hong Kong at any time between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on Thursday, July 18, 2002, or if there are similar extraneous factors as are acceptable to the Stock Exchange, the application lists will not open on that day. Further information is set out in the section headed ""How to Apply for Hong Kong OÅer Shares Ì When to Apply for Hong Kong OÅer Shares Ì EÅect of Bad Weather Conditions on the Opening of the Application Lists''. (3) If, for any reason, the Offer Price is not agreed on or before Saturday, July 20, 2002, the Global Offering will not proceed. (4) Share certiÑcates for the Hong Kong OÅer Shares are expected to be despatched on or before Tuesday, July 23, 2002, but will only become valid certiÑcates of title at 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 25, 2002, provided that (i) the Global OÅering has become unconditional in all respects and (ii) the right of termination as described in the section headed ""Underwriting'' has not been exercised. (5) Applicants who apply for and are successfully allocated 200,000 or more Hong Kong OÅer Shares using WHITE or BLUE Application Forms may collect their share certificates in person from the Share Registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited, at Rooms 1712-1716, 17th Floor, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen's Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2002. Applicants being individuals who opt for personal collection must not authorise any other person to make their collection on their behalf. Applicants being corporations which opt for personal collection must attend by their authorised representatives bearing letters of authorisation from their corporations stamped with the corporations' respective chops. Both individuals and authorised representatives (if applicable) must produce, at the time of collection, evidence of identity acceptable to the Share Registrar. Uncollected share certificates will be despatched by ordinary post and at the applicants' own risk to the addresses stated on the relevant Application Forms. (6) Refund cheques will be despatched in respect of wholly or partially unsuccessful applications, in respect of successful applications if the Ñnal OÅer Price is less than the maximum OÅer Price payable on application and in respect of the Retail Discount. Refund cheques cannot be collected. Further information on the despatch of share certiÑcates and refund cheques is set out in the sections headed ""Terms and Conditions of the Hong Kong Public OÅering Ì If Your Application for Hong Kong OÅer Shares is Successful (in Whole or in Part)'', ""Ì Refund of Your Money Ì Additional Information'' and ""Ì Miscellaneous''. Investors who trade Shares on the basis of publicly available allocation details prior to the receipt of share certiÑcates do so entirely at their own risk. i CONTENTS You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus and the Application Forms to make your investment decision. No person has been authorized to provide you with information that is diÅerent from what is contained in this prospectus. Any information or representation not made in this prospectus must not be relied on by you as having been authorized by us, BOC, the Selling Shareholder, the Joint Global Coordinators, the Joint Sponsors, the Hong Kong Underwriters, the International Purchasers, any of our/their respective directors or any other person involved in the Global OÅering. Page Expected Timetable ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ i Summary ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 1 DeÑnitions ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 14 Risk Factors ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 25 Information About this Prospectus and the Global OÅering ÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ 36 Parties Involved in the Global OÅeringÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏÏ