Dacheng, HB and New Hope Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement in the Presence of Former Canadian Prime Minister

On September 25, 2013, a strategic partnership agreement was signed collectively by Dacheng, Heenan Blaikie LLP ("HP") and New Hope Group ("NHG") in the presence of former Canadian Prime Minister the Right Honorable Jean Chrétien. Liu Yonghao, Chairman of NHG, Martin Cauchon, former Canadian Minister of Justice and currently partner with HP and Xu Yongqian, senior partner of Dacheng and deputy director of the managing committee, signed the agreement on behalf of the three parties respectively. Attorney Leng Yunsong, executive director of Dacheng Chengdu Office, was also present at the signing ceremony.
 
The trilateral agreement heralds the start of collaboration among Dacheng, HB and NHG on matters of farming and husbandry-related investment and M&A in francophone and South American countries. It is an all-win, milestone move that will likely bring mutual benefits and common growth at an elevated level for all parties.
 
One of the largest law firms in Canada, HB is a prominent service provider in new energy, M&A, international trade and investment dispute resolution. HB has been working in an in-depth manner with Dacheng on multiple projects since its inclusion into Dacheng's Global Legal Service Network.
 
NHG is one of the leading agribusinesses in China's agriculture industry. It is the biggest animal feed producer and one of China's largest farming and husbandry enterprises. With the most sizable farming and husbandry industry cluster in China, three production chains of pork, poultry and dairy and a capacity of producing 26.6mln tonnes of feed and processing 850mln of poultry and 8.5mln of hogs at an annual basis, NHG has been offering upstream-to-downstream products indispensable for people's everyday lives in China.
 
Aimed at sculpting itself into a world-class agribusiness, NHG has been committed to a proactive, prudent internationalization strategy. So far, it has invested a total of more than $80mln over 18 subsidiaries (some of which are still under construction) across Vietnam, the Philippines, Bengal, Indonesia, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Egypt, which are primarily engaged in the production and marketing of livestock, poultry and aquatic feeds. Right now, NHG is looking to expand into Canada, South America and Africa through investment and M&A in agriculture and husbandry industries to fulfill its strategic developmental needs in both domestic and international markets.