prelimproxy20093006.htm
UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
20549
SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange
Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
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Filed
by the Registrant þ
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Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
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Check
the appropriate box:
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þ Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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¨ Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by
Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
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¨ Definitive
Proxy Statement
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¨ Definitive
Additional Materials
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¨ Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
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Taiwan Greater
China Fund
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(Name of
Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
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(Name of Person(s)
Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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þ No
fee required.
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¨ Fee
computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(4) and
0-11.
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1) Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
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2) Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction
applies:
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3) Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Exchange Act Rule
0-11
(set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how
it was determined):
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4) Proposed
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transaction:
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¨ Fee
paid previously with preliminary
materials.
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Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
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1) Amount
Previously Paid:
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2) Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
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3) Filing
Party:
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4) Date
File:
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July 30, 2009
TAIWAN
GREATER CHINA FUND
c/o
Nanking Road Capital Management, LLC
111
Gillett Street
Hartford,
CT 06105
Telephone:
1-800-343-9567
Dear
Shareholders:
You are cordially invited to attend the
2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of the Taiwan Greater China
Fund (the “Trust”), which will be held at the offices of Brown Brothers Harriman
& Co., 50 Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3661, on Thursday,
September 10, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., Eastern time. A formal notice and a Proxy
Statement regarding the Meeting, a proxy card for your vote at the Meeting and a
postage prepaid envelope in which to return your proxy are enclosed.
Shareholders who plan on attending the Meeting will be required to present valid
identification in order to gain admission.
At
the Meeting, Shareholders will:
(i)
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Elect
two Trustees, each to serve for a term expiring on the date of the 2012
Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the special meeting held in lieu
thereof;
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(ii)
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Consider
whether to approve the conversion of the Trust from a closed-end
investment company into an open-end investment company;
and
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(iii)
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Transact
such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or at any
adjournment thereof.
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The Board of Trustees recommends that
you vote for each of the
nominees for Trustee named in the accompanying Proxy Statement.
The Board of Trustees recommends that
you vote against
approval of the conversion of the Trust from a closed-end investment company
into an open-end investment company.
Whether or not you plan to attend the
Meeting in person, it is important that your shares be represented and voted.
After reading the enclosed notice and Proxy Statement, please complete, date,
sign and return the enclosed proxy card at your earliest convenience. Your
return of the proxy card will not prevent you from voting in person at the
Meeting should you later decide to do so.
If you are a beneficial owner holding
shares through a broker-dealer or other nominee, please note that, under the
rules of the New York Stock Exchange, broker-dealers or other nominees may
either use their discretion to vote your shares on the proposal described in
paragraph (i) above without your instructions, or leave your shares
unvoted. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees of the Trust urges all
beneficial owners of shares who are not also record owners of such shares to
contact the institutions through which their shares are held and give
appropriate instructions, if necessary, to vote their shares. The Trust will
also be pleased to cooperate with any appropriate arrangement pursuant to which
beneficial owners desiring to attend the Meeting may be identified as such and
admitted to the Meeting as Shareholders.
Time will be provided during the
Meeting for discussion, and Shareholders present at the Meeting will have an
opportunity to ask questions about matters of interest to them.
Steven
R. Champion
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Pedro-Pablo
Kuczynski
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President
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Chairman
of the Board of Trustees
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Important matters will be considered
at the Meeting. Accordingly, all Shareholders, regardless of the size
of their holdings, are urged to sign and mail the enclosed proxy in the enclosed
envelope, or to give appropriate instructions to persons holding shares of
record on their behalf, promptly.
TAIWAN
GREATER CHINA FUND
Notice
of Annual Meeting of Shareholders
To
be held September 10, 2009
To the
Shareholders of the Taiwan Greater China Fund:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders (the “Meeting”) of the Taiwan Greater China Fund will be
held at the offices of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Milk Street,
Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3661 on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at 9:30 a.m.,
Eastern time, for the following purposes:
1.
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To
elect two Trustees, each to serve for a term expiring on the date of the
2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the special meeting held in lieu
thereof;
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2.
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To
consider whether to approve the conversion of the Trust from a closed-end
investment company into an open-end investment company;
and
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3.
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To
transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or at
any adjournment thereof.
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The Board of Trustees of the Trust has
fixed the close of business on Monday, July 13, 2009 as the record date for the
determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting
and at any adjournment thereof. Shareholders are entitled to one vote for each
share of beneficial interest of the Trust held of record on the record date with
respect to each matter to be voted upon at the Meeting.
You are cordially invited to attend the
Meeting. All Shareholders are requested to complete, date and sign the enclosed
proxy card and return it promptly, and by no later than Wednesday, September 9,
2009, in the envelope provided for that purpose, which does not require any
postage if mailed in the United States. If you are able to attend the Meeting,
you may, if you wish, revoke the proxy and vote personally on all matters
brought before the Meeting. The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board
of Trustees of the Trust.
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BY
ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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Regina
Foley, Secretary
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July 30,
2009
TAIWAN
GREATER CHINA FUND
PROXY
STATEMENT
INTRODUCTION
This Proxy Statement is furnished in
connection with the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Board of Trustees
(the “Board of Trustees” or the “Board”, the Trustees of the Board are referred
to herein as the “Trustees”) of the Taiwan Greater China Fund (the “Trust”) for
use at the Annual Meeting (the “Meeting”) of holders of shares (the
“Shareholders”) of the Trust (the “Shares”) to be held at the offices of Brown
Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109-3661 on Thursday,
September 10, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., Eastern time, and at any adjournment
thereof.
This Proxy Statement and the
accompanying proxy are first being mailed to Shareholders on or about July 30,
2009. All properly executed proxies received by mail on or before the
close of business on September 9, 2009 or delivered personally at the Meeting
will be voted as specified in such proxies or, if no specification is made, for
Proposal 1 and against Proposal 2.
The Board of Trustees has fixed the
close of business on Monday, July 13, 2009, as the record date for the
determination of Shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting
and at any adjournment thereof. Shareholders of record will be
entitled to one vote for each Share. No Shares have cumulative voting
rights for the election of the Trustees.
As of the record date, the Trust had
[ ] Shares outstanding. Abstentions will be counted
as present for all purposes in determining the existence of a
quorum.
One-third of the Trust’s outstanding
Shares, present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting, will
constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Meeting. The
affirmative vote of a plurality of the Shares present or represented by proxy
and voting on the matter in question at the Meeting is required to elect the
nominees for election as Trustees. Approval of converting the Trust
from a closed-end investment company to an open-end investment company requires
the affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding Shares.
Shares represented by duly executed
proxies will be voted at the Meeting in accordance with the instructions
given. However, if
no instructions are specified on the proxy with respect to a proposal, shares
will be voted FOR the election of the two nominees for Trustees, and AGAINST the
conversion of the Trust from a closed-end investment company into an open-end
investment company and in accordance with the judgment of the persons appointed
as proxies upon any other matter that may properly come before the
Meeting. A Shareholder may revoke a previously submitted proxy
at any time prior to the Meeting by (i) a written revocation, which must be
signed and include the Shareholder’s name and account number, received by the
Secretary of the Trust, c/o Nanking
Road Capital Management, LLC, 111 Gillett Street Hartford, CT
06105; (ii) properly executing a later-dated proxy; or (iii) attending the
Meeting and voting in person. If your Shares are held by your broker,
in order to revoke your proxy, you may need to forward your written revocation
or a later-dated proxy card to your broker rather than the
Trust. Abstentions will be treated as votes present and not cast at
the meeting. Accordingly, abstentions will not have the effect of
votes in opposition to the election of a Trustee under Proposal 1 but will
effectively be treated as an “Against” vote for the conversion of the Trust from
a closed-end investment company into an open-end investment company under
Proposal 2.
The Trust knows of no business that may
or will be presented for consideration at the Meeting, other than that described
in Proposals 1 and 2 described herein. If any matter not referred to above is
properly presented, the persons named on the enclosed proxy will vote in
accordance with their discretion. However, any business that is not on the
agenda for the Meeting may be presented for consideration or action at the
Meeting only with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
The address of Brown Brothers Harriman
& Co., which provides certain administrative services for the Trust, is 50
Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3661.
Important
Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Shareholder Meeting
to be Held on Thursday, September 10, 2009.
The Fund’s Notice of Special Meeting of Shareholders, Proxy Statement
and Form of Proxy are available on the Internet at [_______________]
BENEFICIAL
OWNERSHIP OF SHARES
The following table provides
information, as of July 13, 2009, except as noted, regarding the beneficial
ownership of Shares by (i) each person or group known to the Trust to be the
beneficial owner of more than 5% of the Shares outstanding, (ii) each of the
Trust’s Trustees or Trustee nominees, (iii) each executive officer of the Trust
and (iv) all Trustees, Trustee nominees and executive officers of the Trust as a
group. Except as noted, each of the named owners has sole voting and dispositive
power over the Shares listed.
Name and Address of
Beneficial Owner
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Amount of Beneficial
Ownership
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Percent
of Fund
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City
of London Investment Group plc (“CLIG”)
City
of London Investment Management Company Limited (“CLIM”)
10
Eastcheap
London
EC3M 1LX
U.K.
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3,185,617(1)
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24.39%
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Lazard
Asset Management LLC (“Lazard”)
8
Walnut Ave East
Farmingdale,
NY 11735
U.S.A.
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1,544,870(2)
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10.67%
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Sarasin
Investment Fund Ltd.
155
Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 3XY
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1,049,000(3)
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6.89%
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NewGate
LLP
80
Field Point Road
12th
Floor
Greenwich
CT 06830
U.S.A.
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587,809(4)
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4.0%
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TRUSTEES
AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Name
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Amount
of
Beneficial Ownership
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Percent
of Fund
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Dollar Range
of Beneficial
Ownership
**
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Steven
R. Champion
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20,500
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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Frederick
C. Copeland, Jr.
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8,000
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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David
Laux
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6,000
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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Robert
P. Parker
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2,000
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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Edward
B. Collins
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3,000
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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Pedro
Pablo Kuczynski
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2,300
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*
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$[_____-$______]
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Tsung-Ming
Chung
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0
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N/A
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None
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Cheryl
Chang
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0
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N/A
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None
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Regina
Foley
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0
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N/A |
None
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All
Trustees, Trustee nominees
and
executive officers as a
group
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38,800
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*
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*Less
than 1%
** Based
on the net asset value of the Shares on July 13, 2009 of [$_______].
(1)
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Based upon information provided by CLIG and CLIM
in a Statement on Schedule 13G jointly filed on January 30, 2009 with respect to ownership as of December 30, 2008. In that statement, CLIM reported that
it held its 3,185,617 Shares as
investment adviser to certain investment funds. CLIG reported
that its ownership included the 3,185,617 Shares held by CLIM as a result of CLIG’s status
as the parent holding company of CLIM. CLIG and CLIM stated
that they held sole voting power and sole dispositive power over their
Shares.
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(2)
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Based upon information provided by
Lazard Asset Management LLC
in a Statement on Schedule 13G filed
on February 10, 2009 with respect to its ownership as of January 30, 2008, declaring that it held sole voting and
sole dispositive power over its
Shares.
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(3)
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Based
upon information disclosed on Bloomberg. This information
reflects that Sarasin Emerging Sar Fund holds 495,299 Shares, and SaraPro
Emerging Markets Fund holds 306,010 Shares. The Trust believes
that Sarasin holds voting and shared dispositive power over all such
Shares.
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(4)
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Based
upon information provided by Newgate LLP in a Statement on Schedule 13G
filed on January 17, 2008 with respect to its ownership as of December 31,
2007, declaring that it held sole voting and sole dispositive power over
its Shares.
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PROPOSAL
1. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES
The two nominees for election to the
Board of Trustees are Messrs. Edward B. Collins and Tsung-Ming
Chung. Mr. Collins is currently a Trustee of the Trust, and if
reelected, will serve for a term expiring on the date of the 2012 Annual Meeting
of Shareholders or the special meeting held in lieu thereof. Mr.
Chung is currently a Trustee of the Trust, and if reelected, will serve for a
term expiring on the date of the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof. Messrs. Collins and Chung were
nominated by Board of Trustees at a meeting held on June 8, 2009, following the
recommendation of the Nominating Committee of the Board at a meeting held on
January 13, 2009.
The persons named in the accompanying
proxy will, in the absence of contrary instructions, vote all proxies FOR the
election of Messrs. Collins and
Chung. Each nominee has indicated his consent to be named in the
accompanying proxy and that he will serve if elected. If either or
both of Messrs. Collins and Chung should be unable to serve (an event not now
anticipated), the proxies will be voted for such person(s), if any, as is
designated by the Board of Trustees to replace Mr. Collins and/or Mr. Chung, as
the case may be.
INFORMATION CONCERNING
NOMINEES
The following table sets forth
certain information concerning Messrs. Collins and
Chung.
Name
(Age) and
Address
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Position(s)
Held
with the
Trust
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Term
of Office and
Length
of Time
Served
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Principal
Occupation(s)
During
the Past
Five
Years
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Other
Business
Experience,
Other
Positions
with Affiliated
Persons
of the Trust and
Other
Directorships
Held
by Nominee
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Non-Interested
Nominees
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Edward
B. Collins (66)
765
Market Street, Suite 31A
San
Francisco,
California
94103
U.S.A.
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Trustee
and Audit Committee Member
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Trustee
since 2000 and until the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof
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Managing
Director, China Vest Group (venture capital investment), since prior to
2004
|
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Director,
Bookham Inc., since May 2008, Director, Medio Stream, Inc, since 2001;
Chairman, California Bank of Commerce, since 2006; Partner, McCutchen,
Doyle, Brown & Enersen (law firm), 1987–95
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Tsung-Ming
Chung (61)
4F,
No.1, Lane 21, Hsing-Hua Road
Kwei-Shan
Industrial Zone,
Taoyuan,
Taiwan, R.O.C.
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Trustee
and Audit Committee Member
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Trustee
since 2006 and until the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof
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Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer, Dynapak International Technology Corp, since
2002; Chairman, Systems and Chips, Inc.; Director, Arima Group
(technology)
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Director,
Far Eastern International Bank; Director and Chairman of Audit Committee,
Taiwan Mobile Co.; Director and Audit Committee Chairman,
SMIC
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INFORMATION CONCERNING OTHER
TRUSTEES
The
following table sets forth certain information concerning the Trustees of the
Trust (other than Messrs. Collins and Chung).
Name
(Age) and
Address
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Position(s)
Held
with the
Trust
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Term
of Office and
Length
of Time
Served
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Principal
Occupation(s)
During
the Past
Five
Years
|
Other
Business
Experience,
Other
Positions
with Affiliated
Persons
of the Trust and
Other
Directorships
Held
by Nominee
|
Non-Interested
Trustees
|
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Frederick
C. Copeland, Jr. (67)
11
Deer Ridge Road
Avon,
Connecticut 06001
U.S.A.
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Trustee,
Vice Chairman, and Audit Committe member
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Trustee
since May 2004 and until the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof; Vice Chairman of the Board since
February 2006
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Vice
Chairman, Director, Chairman of Executive Committee, Far East National
Bank since 2004; Principal, Deer Ridge Associates, LLC (financial
consulting), 2001-2006
|
Director,
Mercantile Commerce Bank Holding, since 2007; Director, Mercantile
Commerce Bank, since 2007; President, Chief Executive Officer and Chief
Operating Officer, Aetna International (insurance), from 1995 to 2001;
Executive Vice President, Aetna, Inc. (insurance), from 1997 to 2001;
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fleet Bank, N.A.,
1993–1995; President and Chief Executive Officer, Citibank Canada Ltd.,
1987–1993; Taiwan Country Head, Citibank, 1983–1987
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Robert
P. Parker (67)
101
California Street
Suite
2830 San Francisco,
California
94111 U.S.A.
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Trustee
and Audit Committee Member
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Trustee
since 1998 and until the 2011 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof; and Chairman from February to July
2004
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Chairman,
Parker Price Venture Capital, Inc. (formerly known as Allegro Capital,
Inc.), since prior to 2004
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Director,
NexFlash Technologies, Inc., 2001-2005; Partner, McCutchen, Doyle, Brown
& Enersen (law firm), 1988–97
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David
N. Laux (81)
The
Hampshire, Apt. No. 701
1101
N. Elm St. Greensboro, N.C. 24701 U.S.A.
|
Trustee
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Trustee
since 1992 and until the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu
thereof; Chairman from July 2004 to August 2007
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Director;
International Foundation, 2001–2007; Chairman, Great Dads (non-profit),
2004–2006; President, US-Taiwan Business Forum, from 2000 to 2005;
Director, US-Taiwan Business Council, 2000-present
|
President,
US-ROC (Taiwan) Business Council, 1990-2000; Chairman and Managing
Director, American Institute in Taiwan, 1987-90; Director
of
Asian Affairs, National
Security
Council, The White
House,
1982-86
|
Pedro-Pablo
Kuczynski (70)
Chequehuanla
967
San
Isidro, Lima,
Peru
|
Trustee
and
Chairman
of the Board
|
Trustee
since 2007 and until the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or
special meeting held in lieu
thereof; Chairman since August 2007
|
Senior
Advisor and Partner, The Rohatyn Group (emerging markets manager), since
2007; Prime Minister of Peru, 2005–2006; Minister of Economy of Peru,
2001–2002; 2004–2005; Partner and CEO, Latin America Enterprise Fund
(private equity), 1995–2001
|
Chairman
and Director, Advanced Metallurgical Group (“AMG, N.V.”), since 2007;
Director, Ternium Inc., since 2007
|
BOARD
STRUCTURE
Since the inception of the Trust in
1989, the Trustees of the Trust have been divided into three classes, each
having a term of three years, with the term of one class expiring each
year. As of the date of this proxy statement, the Board has six
members, with at least two members in each of the three classes.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE
MEETINGS
The Board of Trustees of the Trust held
three meetings during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. During the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2008, each Trustee attended at least 75% of the total of
(i) all meetings of the Board of Trustees and (ii) all meetings of each
committee of the Board on which he served.
NOMINATING
COMMITTEE
The Board of Trustees has a Nominating
Committee, the current members of which are Messrs. Robert P. Parker (Chair) and
David N. Laux. The members of the Nominating Committee are not
“interested persons” of the Trust, as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and also are
independent Trustees of the Trust, as defined under the rules of the New York
Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The Nominating Committee has a charter, which is
available on the Trust’s website at www.taiwangreaterchinafund.com. The charter
provides that the Nominating Committee will consider recommendations of Trustee
nominees submitted by Shareholders. Any such recommendations should be sent to
the Trust’s Nominating Committee, c/o Secretary of the Trust, Nanking
Road Capital Management, LLC, 111 Gillett Street, Hartford, CT 06105.
The charter also provides that the Nominating Committee will consider
potential candidates who are personally known to members of the Nominating
Committee, persons who are recommended to the Nominating Committee by other
members of the Board and other persons known by Board members or persons
identified by any search firm retained by the Nominating Committee. In
considering whether to recommend that an individual be nominated as a Trustee,
the Nominating Committee will take the following criteria, among others, into
account: (i) the Board’s size and composition; (ii) applicable listing standards
and laws; (iii) an individual’s expertise (especially with regard to matters
relating to Taiwan, mainland China and public and private investment funds),
experience and willingness to serve actively; (iv) whether an individual will
enhance the functioning of the Board and the compatibility of his or her views
concerning the manner in which the Trust should be governed with the Board’s
assessment of the interests of the Trust’s shareholders; and (v) the number of
other company boards of directors on which such individual serves.
During the fiscal year ended December
31, 2008, the Nominating Committee did not retain any search firm or pay a fee
to any third party to identify Trustee candidates.
The Nominating Committee held one
meeting during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. On January
13, 2009, the Nominating Committee met and recommended that Messrs. Edward B.
Collins and Tsung-Ming Chung be nominated to stand for election at the
Meeting.
AUDIT COMMITTEE AND
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
The Board of Trustees has an Audit
Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and Rule 32a-4 under the
1940 Act. The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Edward B.
Collins (Chair), Frederick C. Copeland, Jr., Robert P. Parker and Tsung-Ming
Chung. The members of the Audit Committee are not interested persons of the
Trust, as defined in the 1940 Act, and also are independent Trustees of the
Trust, as defined in the rules of the NYSE.
The responsibilities of the Audit
Committee include, among other things, review and selection of the independent
public accountants of the Trust, review of the Trust’s financial statements
prior to their submission to the Board of Trustees and of other accounting
matters of the Trust, and review of the administration of the Trust’s Codes of
Ethics and Whistleblower Policy.
Audit
Committee Report
The Audit Committee held two meetings
during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008. The Audit Committee
also met on February 17, 2009. At those meetings, the Audit Committee, among
other things:
(i)
|
approved
the selection of KPMG LLP (“KPMG”) as the Trust’s independent public
accountants for its 2009 fiscal
year;
|
(ii)
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reviewed
the annual report and audited financial statements of the Trust for its
2007 and 2008 fiscal year and discussed those statements with the Trust’s
management and KPMG;
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(iii)
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reviewed
the audit committee’s performance for the calendar year ended 2007 and
2008;
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(iv)
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discussed
with the Trust’s management and KPMG those matters requiring discussion by
the Accounting Standards Board’s Statement of Auditing Standards No. 61 as
currently in effect, including the independence of
KPMG;
|
(v)
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received
the written disclosures and the letters from KPMG required by the
applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
regarding KPMG’s communications with the Audit Committee concerning
independence;
|
(vi)
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reviewed
the charter for the Audit Committee;
and
|
(vii)
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pre-approved
the payment of fees for permitted non-audit
services.
|
Based upon the reviews, discussions and
consideration described above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of
Trustees that the Trust’s audited financial statements be included in its Annual
Report to Shareholders for the Trust’s fiscal year ended December 31,
2008.
Edward B.
Collins
Frederick
C. Copeland Jr.
Robert P.
Parker
Tsung-Ming
Chung
Representatives of KPMG are expected
to be available at the Meeting to respond to appropriate questions from
Shareholders and will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire to
do so.
AUDIT
FEES
The aggregate fees billed by KPMG for
professional services rendered by KPMG, the Trust’s independent auditors, in
connection with the annual review and audit of the Trust’s financial statements
and for services that are normally provided by KPMG in connection with statutory
and regulatory filings or engagements for each of the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008 were $ [ ]
and $ [ ], respectively.
Audit Related Fees. The
aggregate fees billed for assurance and related services by KPMG that are
reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Trust’s
financial statements and are not reported under the section entitled “Audit
Fees” for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008
were $ [ ] , and $[
], respectively.
Tax Fees. The aggregate fees billed for
professional services rendered by KPMG in connection with the preparation of the
Trust’s federal income and excise tax returns and the provision of tax advice
and planning services for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and
December 31, 2008 were $ [ ] and
$ [ ], respectively.
All Other Fees. The aggregate fees
billed for products and services provided by KPMG other than the fees for
services referenced above for each of the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007
and December 31, 2008 were $ [ ].
Aggregate Amount of Non-Audit
Fees. The aggregate amount of non-audit fees billed by KPMG for
services rendered to the Trust for each of the fiscal years ended December 31,
2007 and December 31, 2008 were $[ ] and
$[ ], respectively. The aggregate
non-audit fees include the amounts shown under Tax Fees and All Other Fees for
the fiscal years ended December 31, 2007 and December 31, 2008,
respectively.
AUDIT COMMITTEE’S
PRE-APPROVAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
The Audit Committee approves the
engagement of the Trust’s accountants to render audit or non-audit services
before such accountants perform such services.
All services described under “Audit
Fees” and “Non-Audit Fees” above that required approval were pre-approved by the
Audit Committee before KPMG’s engagement to perform them.
POLICY ON TRUSTEES’
ATTENDANCE AT ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER MEETINGS
The Trust’s policy with regard to
attendance by members of the Board of Trustees at its Annual Meetings of
Shareholders is that all Trustees are expected to attend, absent extenuating
circumstances. All six Trustees attended the 2008 Annual
Meeting.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Shareholders who wish to communicate
with the Board of Trustees with respect to matters relating to the Trust may
address their correspondence to the Board as a whole or to individual members
c/o the Secretary of the Trust, Nanking
Road Capital Management, LLC, 111 Gillett Street Hartford, CT
06105.
OFFICERS OF THE
TRUST
The following table sets forth certain
information concerning the officers of the Trust. Information regarding Mr.
Kuczynski, the Chairman of the Board, is set forth in the Trustee table above.
The Chairman and the President (Messrs. Kuczynski and Champion, respectively)
each holds office until his successor is duly elected and qualified, and all
other officers hold office at the discretion of the Trustees.
Name
(Age) and
Address
|
Position(s)
Held
with the
Trust
|
Length
of Time
Served
|
Principal
Occupation(s)
During
the Past
Five
Years
|
Other
Business Experience, Other Positions with Affiliated Persons of the Trust
and Other Directorships Held by Nominee
|
Steven
R. Champion (63)
111
Gillett Street
Hartford,
CT 06105 U.S.A.
|
President,
Chief
Executive
Officer
and
Portfolio
Manager
|
Since
February 2004
|
President,
Nanking Road Capital Management, LLC, since July 2007; President, Chief
Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager of the Fund from February 2004 to
October 2007; Executive Vice President,
Bank
of Hawaii, 2001-2003;
Chief
Investment Officer,
Aetna
International, from
prior
to 2000 to 2001
|
Director,
Connecticut Choral Artists, Inc., from 2007 to March
2009
|
Regina
Foley ( )
111
Gillett Street
Hartford,
CT 06105 U.S.A.
|
Secretary,
Treasurer,
Chief Financial
Officer
and Chief Compliance Officer
|
Secretary,
Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer since June
2009
|
Secretary,
Treasurer,
Chief Financial
Officer
and Chief Compliance Officer, Nanking Road Capital Management, since
June 2009;
[ ], The Hartford
Financial Services Group, since
[ ] ; and
[ ], ING
since[ ]
|
|
TRUSTEE AND OFFICER
COMPENSATION
The compensation received by each
Trustee and officer of the Trust for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 is
set forth below.
Name
|
Position
|
Total
Compensation
from
the Trust Paid to Trustees
and
officers (1)(2)
|
Edward
B. Collins
|
Trustee
|
$21,000
|
Frederick
C. Copeland, Jr.
|
Trustee
|
$26,000
|
David
N. Laux
|
Trustee
|
$18,000
|
Robert
P. Parker
|
Trustee
|
$21,000
|
Tsung-Ming
Chung
|
Trustee
|
$18,000
|
Pedro-Pablo
Kuczynski
|
Trustee
|
$26,000
|
(1) The
Trustees and officers of the Trust do not receive any pension or retirement
benefits from the Trust.
(2)
Compensation consists of a $2,000 meeting fee for each Board of Trustees’
meeting or committee meeting attended in person, $1,000 meeting fee for each
Board of Trustees’ meeting or committee meeting attended by telephone and an
annual retainer of $12,000 ($20,000 for the Chairman and $17,000 for the Vice
Chairman).
REQUIRED
VOTE
The affirmative vote of a plurality of
Shares present or represented by proxy and voting on the matter in question at
the Meeting is required to elect the nominees for election as
Trustees. Abstentions will be treated as votes present and not cast
at the meeting. Abstentions will not have the effect of votes in
opposition to the election of a Trustee under this Proposal 1.
THE BOARD
OF TRUSTEES UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT SHAREHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF
THE NOMINEES AS TRUSTEES
PROPOSAL
2: CONVERSION OF THE TRUST FROM A CLOSED-END INVESTMENT
COMPANY TO AN OPEN-END INVESTMENT COMPANY
BACKGROUND AND
SUMMARY
The Trust is registered as a
closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act and has operated as a
closed-end fund since the reorganization of The Taiwan (R.O.C.) Fund (which was
an open-end fund not registered in the United States) into the Trust on May 19,
1989. The Trust’s Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the
“Declaration of Trust”) and By-Laws provide that the Board of Trustees is
required to submit to the Shareholders at their next annual meeting a binding
resolution to convert the Trust into an open-end investment company if the
Shares trade on the NYSE at an average discount from their net asset value
(“NAV”) of more than 10% during any twelve-week period beginning after the most
recent vote on such matter (which occurred at the Trust’s 2008 annual
meeting). For these purposes, the average variation of the trading
price of the Shares from their NAV is determined on the basis of such variances
for each trading day (which means each day when the NYSE is open for trading)
during the applicable twelve-week period and then the average of such daily
variances is determined for the applicable 12-week period as of the end of such
period. The affirmative vote of a majority of the Shares outstanding
and entitled to vote is required for the adoption of such a
resolution.
By the terms of the Declaration of
Trust, this requirement became effective on June 1, 1992, and since then the
Shareholders have voted on such a resolution twelve times; in 1995, in each of
the years from 1997 through 2005, and in 2007 and 2008. In each
instance, the Board recommended that Shareholders vote against the resolution to
convert the Trust into an open-end investment company, and such resolution was
not adopted by the Shareholders. In the most recent vote, on June 24,
2008, 43.26% of the outstanding Shares were voted in favor of the proposal,
11.99% were voted against, and 5.26% were either not present at the meeting,
were not voted or abstained from voting on that particular matter (which are
effectively votes against the proposal).
After the vote in 2008, the Shares,
like those of most other closed-end country funds, continued to trade at a
discount. The average discount for the period from the 2008 Annual
Meeting of Shareholders until the record date for this Meeting was [___]%, which
was [smaller] than [prior to 2004]. As of the twelve-week period
ended on October 10, 2008, the Shares traded at an average discount of more than
10% (10.10%), requiring the Board of Trustees to submit to the Shareholders the
proposal described herein. From the twelve week period ended on
October 10, 2008 until the record date for the Meeting, the Shares have traded
at an average discount of [____]%.
On July 13, 2009, the Shares’ trading
price on the NYSE closed at a discount to NAV per Share of [ ]%. Conversion of the Trust to an
open-end investment company would eliminate the trading market in the Shares and
provide Shareholders with a continuing opportunity to redeem their Shares from
the Trust at their NAV. The proposal will be adopted, as provided in
the Declaration of Trust, only if approved by holders of a majority of the
Shares outstanding and entitled to vote.
The Board of Trustees of the Trust
considered information concerning the legal, operational and practical
differences between closed-end and open-end investment companies, the Trust’s
performance to date as a closed-end fund, the historical relationship between
the market price of the Shares and their NAV, the possible effects of conversion
on the Trust and alternatives to conversion. The Board of Trustees
resolved to recommend to the Trust’s Shareholders that they vote against the
proposal to convert the Trust to an open-end investment company.
In making this recommendation, the
Board of Trustees considered measures it has taken that have proved effective in
lowering the discount at which the Shares have traded in relation to their
NAV. These measures (described in further detail below) included the
establishment of a share repurchase program.
In addition, the Board of Trustees
considered the steps taken in an effort to improve the Trust’s performance and
the effect conversion of the Trust to an open-end investment company may have on
performance. In February 2004, the Trust implemented the Board’s new
strategy of investing primarily in Taiwan Stock Exchange listed companies which
derive or which are expected to derive a substantial portion of their revenues
by exporting to or operating in mainland China.
The Board of Trustees believes that
conversion to an open-end investment company could adversely affect the
functioning of the Trust’s investment operations and its investment performance,
as described below under “Effect of Conversion on the Trust – Portfolio
Management.” The Board also believes that conversion could expose the
Trust to the risk of a substantial reduction in its size and a corresponding
loss of economies of scale and an increase in its expenses as a percentage of
NAV, as described below under “Effect of Conversion on the Trust – Potential
Increase in Expense Ratio and Decrease in Size.”
Since the reorganization of the Trust
in 1989, the Shares periodically have traded at a premium (although not in
recent years) above NAV. (See below under “Differences Between
Open-end and Closed-end Investment Companies – Fluctuation of Capital;
Redeemability of Shares; Elimination of Discount and Premium”.) The Shares’
average annual discount/premium (determined by comparing the Shares’ NAV to
their closing price on the NYSE on each trading day pursuant to the Trust’s
By-Laws) by year is as follows:
|
YEAR
|
|
DISCOUNT(-)/
PREMIUM
|
|
1989
(May 12 to December 31)
|
|
2.71%
|
|
1990
|
|
-9.47%
|
|
1991
|
|
-3.29%
|
|
1992
|
|
4.26%
|
|
1993
|
|
3.45%
|
|
1994
|
|
0.75%
|
|
1995
|
|
1.23
%
|
|
1996
|
|
3.28%
|
|
1997
|
|
-17.06%
|
|
1998
|
|
-17.67%
|
|
1999
|
|
-14.24%
|
|
2000
|
|
-18.82%
|
|
2001
|
|
-14.51%
|
|
2002
|
|
-14.95%
|
|
2003
|
|
-11.33%
|
|
2004
|
|
-9.99%
|
|
2005
|
|
-7.55%
|
|
2006
|
|
-7.30%
|
|
2007
|
|
-9.72%
|
|
2008
|
|
-9.78%
|
|
2009
(January 1, 2009 to March 31, 2009)
|
|
-9.05%
|
The Board of Trustees believes that
eliminating the discount would not justify the fundamental changes that
conversion would entail to the Trust’s portfolio management and operations, the
risk of reduced size and the potential adverse effect on the Trust’s investment
performance.
In order to attempt to reduce or
possibly eliminate the discount, the Board continues to seek to increase
awareness about the Trust through Shareholder and market communications and
meetings by management with members of the investment community specializing in
the closed-end funds sector. While these efforts have not eliminated
the Shares’ tendency in recent years to trade at a discount to NAV, the Board of
Trustees believes that such efforts have materially lessened the discount and
had a favorable effect on Shareholder relations by keeping major Shareholders
informed concerning the Trust’s management, investment strategies and policies
and by informing the Board of those Shareholders’ views concerning the Trust’s
management, investment strategies and policies.
In addition, the Board of Trustees
recognizes that discounts as well as premiums can be an inherent consequence of
the closed-end structure because of the probability that the shares of a
closed-end fund will trade at a higher or lower price than the NAV per
share. Discounts can vary widely over time, and a market discount can
offer an investment advantage. For example, Shareholders have the
opportunity to purchase additional Shares in the market at the discounted price
when the Shares trade below their NAV. Shareholders who make such
purchases could benefit in circumstances in which the gap between the NAV and
the market price of the Shares narrows or is eliminated after they make their
purchases, especially when the NAV is also increasing as a result of increases
in the value of the Trust’s investments. Correlatively, Shareholders
could be disadvantaged if they buy Shares at a premium or a small discount to
NAV and the premium disappears or the discount widens, particularly if they
decide to sell their Shares under such circumstances. The Shares’ NAV
at the end of each week is published in compilations of such information for all
closed-end funds in publications such as Barron’s; the daily NAV at the close of
the preceding trading day in Taiwan can be obtained by calling the Trust at
1-800-343-9567 or
by accessing the Trust’s website at www.taiwangreaterchinafund.com.
The Board of Trustees has considered,
from time to time, various alternative measures that could be adopted for the
purpose of seeking to reduce the discount to NAV at which the Shares have
traded. On November 1, 2004, the Trust commenced a share repurchase
program that allows for the repurchase of up to 10% of the outstanding Shares of
the Trust. In connection with the share repurchase program, the Board of Trustees authorized management to repurchase Trust
Shares in one or more block transactions as defined under Rule 10-b(18)(a)(5) of
the Exchange Act, provided that no block exceeded 500,000 Shares on any
day, no more than 1,000,000 Shares in total were repurchased in block
transactions, and that such Share repurchases were made on the NYSE and in
compliance with the safe harbor provided by Rule 10b-18 under the Exchange
Act. As of February 28, 2005, the Trust had repurchased the maximum
amount of Shares allowed to be purchased in block transactions. The
Trust continues to effect non-block repurchases under its share repurchase
program.
At the 2005 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders, the Board of Trustees recommended, and Shareholders approved, the
adoption of an interval fund structure. Since that approval, the
Trust has conducted eight semi-annual repurchase offers for between 5% and 25%
of the Trust’s outstanding securities. The Fund repurchased
approximately 653,128
shares at its most
recently completed semi-annual repurchase offer on June 12,
2009. Since the adoption of an interval fund structure, the Trust has
not repurchased Shares in either block transactions or non-block transactions
under the Trust’s share repurchase program.
If the proposal to convert the Trust
from a closed-end investment company into an open-end investment company is not
approved, and the Shares continue to trade at a discount and the average
discount is again greater than 10% during a twelve-week period, then the
Shareholders will again have an opportunity to consider converting the Trust
into an open-end investment company at the next Shareholders
meeting. The Board of Trustees may also decide at any time to present
to the Shareholders the question of whether the Trust should be converted to an
open-end investment company; however, under the Declaration of Trust, such a
voluntary submission would require the approval of two-thirds of the outstanding
Shares for its adoption.
As described below under “Measures to
be Adopted if the Trust Becomes an Open-end Investment Company -- Redemption
Fee,” if the Shareholders vote to convert the Trust into an open-end investment
company, the Board of Trustees may cause the Trust to impose a fee payable to
the Trust on all redemptions of up to 2.00% of redemption proceeds for a certain
period of time after conversion. In an effort to deter market timing
of Shares after the conversion of the Trust from an open-end investment company,
the Board of Trustees may also decide to impose redemption fees in connection
with transactions within certain periods of time after the purchase of Shares
from the Trust.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OPEN-END
AND CLOSED-END INVESTMENT COMPANIES
1. Fluctuation of Capital; Redeemability
of Shares; Elimination of Discount and Premium. Closed-end
investment companies generally do not redeem their outstanding shares or engage
in the continuous sale of new securities, and thus operate with a relatively
fixed capitalization. The shares of closed-end investment companies
are normally bought and sold in the securities market at prevailing market
prices, which may be equal to, less than or more than NAV. From May
12, 1989 to October 16. 2008 the Shares traded on the NYSE at prices ranging
from 31.55% below NAV (on April 27, 1990) to 35.36% above NAV (on December 13,
1993). The Shares last traded at a premium of 0.61 % above NAV
on May 1, 2009. The Fund traded at NAV on April 29, 2009 and May 4,
2009.
Although it is now possible, subject
to certain restrictions, for both institutions and individuals outside Taiwan to
invest directly in Taiwan stocks, the Board of Trustees believes that many
foreign investors, and particularly foreign individuals, continue to invest in
the Taiwan market through a managed intermediary like the Trust. In
February 2004, the Board revised the Trust’s investment strategy to provide that
the Trust will primarily invest in Taiwan companies that derive or expect to
derive a significant portion of their revenues from operations in or exports to
mainland China, and the Board believes that substantial expertise is required to
select and assess companies with that profile. However, additional
alternatives to the Trust may develop as other vehicles for investment in Taiwan
securities by investors located outside Taiwan, which could have the effect of
increasing any discount at which the Shares trade in relation to their
NAV.
By contrast, open-end investment
companies in the United States, commonly referred to as mutual funds, issue
redeemable securities with respect to which, traditionally, no secondary trading
market has been permitted to develop. (Although this has changed in
recent years with the establishment of exchange-traded open-end funds, it
remains true that the vast majority of open-end funds, both in number and total
assets, do not offer secondary market trading in their shares.) Except during
periods when the NYSE is closed or trading thereon is restricted, or when
redemptions may otherwise be suspended in an emergency as permitted by the 1940
Act, the holders of these redeemable securities have the right to surrender them
to the mutual fund and obtain in return their proportionate share of the mutual
fund’s NAV at the time of the redemption (less any redemption fee charged by the
fund or contingent deferred sales charge imposed by the fund’s
distributor). The Board of Trustees has, in the past, not made any
decision with respect to whether, upon conversion to an open-end investment
company, the Trust would follow an exchange traded open-end format or one of a
more traditional open-end investment company, which would not have a secondary
trading market.
Most mutual funds also continuously
issue new shares to investors at a price based upon their shares’ NAV at the
time of issuance. Accordingly, an open-end investment company
experiences continuing inflows and outflows of cash and may experience net sales
or net redemptions of its shares.
Upon conversion of the Trust into an
open-end investment company, Shareholders who wished to realize the value of
their Shares would be able to do so by redeeming their Shares at NAV (less the
redemption fee, if any, discussed below under “Measures to be Adopted if the
Trust Becomes an Open-end Investment Company -- Redemption Fee”), which would
rise or fall based upon the performance of the Trust’s investment
portfolio. The trading market for the Shares at a discount from NAV
would be eliminated. Conversion would also eliminate, however, any
possibility that the Shares could trade at a premium over NAV.
Please note that the interval fund
structure adopted by the Trust in 2005 provides Shareholders a semi-annual
opportunity to liquidate a portion (but not necessarily all) of their Shares at
NAV, less a 2% repurchase fee.
2. Cash
Reserves. Because closed-end investment companies are not
required to meet redemptions, their cash reserves can be substantial or minimal,
depending on the investment manager’s investment strategy. The
managers of many open-end investment companies, on the other hand, believe it
desirable to maintain cash reserves adequate to meet anticipated redemptions
without prematurely liquidating their portfolio securities. Although
many open-end funds operate successfully in this environment, the maintenance of
larger cash reserves required to operate prudently as an open-end investment
company when net redemptions are anticipated may reduce an open-end investment
company’s ability to achieve its investment objective by limiting its investment
flexibility and the scope of its investment opportunities. In
addition, open-end investment companies are subject to a requirement that no
more than 15% of their net assets may be invested in securities that are not
readily marketable or are otherwise considered to be
illiquid. However, the Trust currently does not invest in, nor does
it anticipate investing in, illiquid securities to any material
extent.
3. Raising
Capital. Closed-end investment companies may not issue new
shares at a price below NAV except in rights offerings to existing Shareholders,
in payment of distributions and in certain other limited
circumstances. Accordingly, the ability of closed-end funds to raise
new capital is restricted, particularly at times when their shares are not
trading at a premium to NAV. The shares of open-end investment
companies, on the other hand, are offered by such companies (in most cases
continuously) at NAV, or at NAV plus a sales charge, and the absence of a
secondary trading market generally makes it impossible to acquire such shares in
any other way. The Trust most recently raised additional capital in
1995, when it obtained net offering proceeds of approximately $64,000,000 upon
the completion of a public offering of additional Shares at a small premium to
NAV.
4. NYSE Delisting; State and Federal
Fees on Sales of Shares. If the Trust converted to an open-end
fund, the Shares would immediately be delisted from the NYSE. Some
investment managers believe that the listing of an investment company on a U.S.
stock exchange, particularly the NYSE, represents a valuable asset, especially
in terms of attracting non-U.S. investors. Delisting would save the
Trust annual NYSE fees of approximately $30,000; but the absence of a stock
exchange listing, combined with the need to issue new Shares when investors wish
to increase their holdings, would have the effect of requiring the Trust to pay
federal registration fees, except to the extent that the underwriter of such
sales paid some or all of such fees. Any net savings or increased
cost to the Trust because of the different expenses would not, however, be
expected to materially affect the Trust’s expense ratio.
5. Underwriting; Brokerage Commissions
or Sales Charges on Purchases and Sales. Open-end investment
companies typically seek to sell new shares on a continuous basis in order to
offset redemptions and avoid shrinkage in size. Shares of “load”
open-end investment companies are normally offered and sold through a principal
underwriter, which deducts a sales charge from the purchase price at the time of
purchase or from the redemption proceeds at the time of redemption, receives a
distribution fee from the fund (called a Rule 12b-1 fee), or both, to compensate
it and securities dealers for sales and marketing services (see “Measures to be
Adopted if the Trust Becomes an Open-end Fund -- Underwriting and Distribution”
below). Shares of “no-load” open-end investment companies are sold at
NAV, without a sales charge, with the fund’s investment adviser or an affiliate
normally bearing the cost of sales and marketing from its own
resources. Shares of closed-end investment companies, on the other
hand, are bought and sold in secondary market transactions at prevailing market
prices subject to the brokerage commissions charged by the broker-dealer firms
executing such transactions. Except in the case of shares sold
pursuant to a rights offering, when a closed-end fund sells newly issued shares,
it typically does so in an underwritten public offering in which an underwriting
fee of 4% or more is imposed. Except in the case of a rights
offering, such sales can be made only at or above the shares’ then applicable
NAV after the deduction of such an underwriting fee.
6. Shareholder
Services. Open-end investment companies typically provide more
services to shareholders and may incur correspondingly higher shareholder
servicing expenses. One service that is generally offered by open-end
funds is enabling shareholders to transfer their investment from one fund into
another fund that is part of the same “family” of open-end funds at little or no
cost to the shareholders. The Trust has, in the past, engaged in no
discussions with any family of funds to become a part of such family, and there
can be no assurance that the Trust would be able to make such an arrangement if
the Shareholders voted to convert the Trust to an open-end fund. If
the requisite majority of the Shareholders approve this Proposal 2, the Board of
Trustees would weigh the cost of any particular service against the anticipated
benefit of such service. The Board of Trustees has not, in the past,
maintained a view as to which, if any, Shareholder services it would seek to
make available to Shareholders and implement as part of the Trust’s joining a
family of funds or otherwise.
7. Leverage. Open-end
investment companies are prohibited by the 1940 Act from issuing “senior
securities” representing indebtedness (i.e., bonds, debentures, notes and other
similar securities), other than indebtedness to banks with respect to which
there is asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings, and may not issue
preferred stock. Closed-end investment companies, on the other hand,
are permitted to issue senior securities representing indebtedness when the 300%
asset coverage test is met, may issue preferred stock subject to a 200% asset
coverage test and are not limited to borrowings solely from
banks. This greater ability to issue senior securities gives
closed-end investment companies more flexibility in “leveraging” their
shareholders’ investments than is available to open-end investment
companies. This difference is not likely to be of importance with
respect to the Trust, however, because the Trust’s fundamental investment
policies (which may be changed only with Shareholder consent) forbid it to
borrow more than 5% of its NAV (a restriction that would continue to apply if
the Trust were an open-end fund) or to issue preferred stock (even though such
issuance is permitted by the Trust’s Declaration of Trust).
8. Annual Shareholders
Meetings. The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business
trust under the terms of the Declaration of Trust. As a closed-end
investment company listed on the NYSE, the Trust is required by the rules of the
NYSE to hold annual meetings of its Shareholders. This requirement
would cease upon a delisting of the Shares from the NYSE. A provision
in the Declaration of Trust provides that, if the Trust were converted to an
open-end investment company, the Declaration of Trust could be amended to
provide that the Trust would no longer be required to hold annual
meetings. However, no vote is being sought on such a proposal at this
time. If the Trust were no longer required to hold annual meetings of
Shareholders, it would still be required by the 1940 Act to have periodic
meetings to approve certain matters and, under certain circumstances, to elect
Trustees. (See the discussion below under “Measures to be Adopted if
the Trust Becomes an Open-end Fund -- Effect on the Trust’s Declaration of
Trust.”) The Trust would save the cost of annual meetings, which management
estimates to be approximately $45,000 per year; however, these savings would not
be expected to materially affect the Trust’s expense ratio.
9. Reinvestment of Dividends and
Distributions. Like the plans of many other closed-end funds,
the Trust’s Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”) permits Shareholders to
elect to reinvest their dividends and distributions on a different basis than
would be the case if the Trust converted to an open-end investment
company. Currently, if the Shares are trading at a discount, the
agent for the Plan will attempt to buy as many of the Shares as are needed for
this purpose on the NYSE or elsewhere. This permits a reinvesting
Shareholder to benefit by purchasing additional Shares at a discount, and this
buying activity may tend to lessen any discount. If Shares are
trading at a premium, reinvesting Shareholders are issued Shares at the higher
of NAV and 95% of the market price. As an open-end investment
company, all dividends and distributions would be reinvested at NAV unless
Shareholders elected to receive their dividends and distributions in
cash.
10. Capital Gains. The
treatment of capital gains required under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”) may be disadvantageous to non-redeeming shareholders of an
open-end fund. Although the fund’s manager may be able to sell
portfolio securities at a price that does not reflect a taxable gain in order to
raise cash to satisfy redeeming shareholders, a mutual fund that is required to
sell portfolio securities may realize a net capital gain if the fund’s basis in
the portfolio securities sold is less than the sale price
obtained. The Code imposes both an income tax and an excise tax on a
regulated investment company’s net capital gain (regardless of whether the fund
is open-end or closed-end) unless the gain is distributed to all shareholders,
including non-redeeming shareholders. Furthermore, in order to make a
capital gain distribution, a fund may need to sell additional portfolio
securities, thereby reducing further its size and, possibly, creating additional
capital gain. While, as noted, taxes on such gains are also imposed
on closed-end funds, a closed-end fund does not face the possible need to sell
appreciated securities in order to raise funds to meet redemption
requests.
EFFECT OF CONVERSION ON THE
TRUST
In addition to the inherent
characteristics of open-end investment companies described above, the Trust’s
conversion to an open-end investment company would potentially have the
consequences described below.
1. Portfolio
Management. As noted above, a closed-end investment company
operates with a relatively fixed capitalization while the capitalization of an
open-end investment company fluctuates depending upon whether it experiences net
sales or net redemptions of its shares. To the extent that this is true, if the
Trust were to convert to an open-end investment company, the Trust might be
faced with a need to invest new monies near market highs and to sell portfolio
securities in a falling market when it might otherwise wish to
invest. Because the Trust is a closed-end fund, however, the Trust
currently is not required to invest new monies or liquidate portfolio holdings
at what may be inopportune times, and can manage its portfolio with a primary
emphasis on long-term considerations.
The Board of Trustees has, in the
past, believed that the closed-end structure is better suited than the open-end
structure to the Trust’s investment objective of achieving long-term capital
appreciation through investment primarily in publicly traded equity securities
of Taiwan issuers, particularly in view of the Trust’s primary strategic focus
on companies whose business is becoming increasingly integrated with the economy
of mainland China. The Board of Trustees has expressed in the past
that, notwithstanding developments in Taiwan that have had the effect of
liberalizing restrictions on investment by foreign investors in the Taiwan
securities market, investor psychology towards Taiwan (and mainland China)
remains susceptible to rapid and extreme swings that would be likely to have a
material and unpredictable impact on inflows and outflows from the Trust if it
were to become an open-end investment company. The Board of Trustees
has expressed in the past their belief that the Trust could better pursue its
long-term investment objective without short-term pressures to invest new monies
or liquidate portfolio holdings at times when its investment style would dictate
doing otherwise. Furthermore, the Board of Trustees believed that a
need for the Trust to maintain some level of cash reserves to fund redemptions
on an on-going basis could restrict the Trust’s ability to remain fully invested
in equity securities in circumstances in which its portfolio manager otherwise
thought it advantageous to be so invested.
2. Potential Increase in Expense Ratio
and Decrease in Size. Conversion to an open-end investment
company would raise the possibility of the Trust suffering substantial
redemptions of Shares, particularly in the period immediately following the
conversion, although the potential implementation of a redemption fee of up to
2.00% for a certain period of time described below under “Measures to be Adopted
if the Trust Becomes an Open-end Fund” might reduce the number of redemptions
that would otherwise occur shortly after the conversion. Unless the
Trust’s principal underwriter, if any, were able to generate sales of new Shares
sufficient to offset these redemptions or the performance of the Trust’s
investments was sufficiently favorable to offset net redemptions, the size of
the Trust would be expected to shrink. (See “Measures to be Adopted
if the Trust Becomes an Open-end Fund -- Underwriting and Distribution.”)
Because a majority of the Trust’s operating expenses are fixed and others
decline as a percentage of the Trust’s NAV as the NAV increases, a decrease in
the Trust’s asset size would likely increase the ratio of its operating expenses
to its income and net assets and, as a result, decrease the Trust’s net income
per Share. Such a decrease in size could result in a decision by the
Board of Trustees to terminate and liquidate the Trust if the amount of the
Trust’s assets were reduced such that it was no longer considered economically
feasible for the Trust to continue to carry on business.
3. Continuous Public Offering
Costs. In addition, the Trust might be required to engage in a
continuous public offering intended, at a minimum, to offset
redemptions. A continuous public offering of the Shares would require
the Trust to maintain current registrations under federal and state securities
laws and regulations, which would involve additional costs. See
“Differences Between Open-end and Closed-end Investment Companies --
Underwriting; Brokerage Commissions or Sales Charges on Purchases and Sales”
above.
4. Possible Sales of Portfolio
Securities. If the Trust were to experience substantial
redemptions of Shares following its conversion to an open-end investment
company, it would probably not have sufficient cash reserves to fund such
redemptions and therefore could be required to sell portfolio securities at
inopportune times and incur increased transaction costs in order to raise cash
to meet such redemptions. In addition, the Trust could incur capital
gains in connection with such transactions. See “Differences Between
Open-end and Closed-end Investment Companies -- Capital Gains”
above.
5. Conversion
Costs. The process of converting the Trust to an open-end
investment company would involve legal and other expenses to the Trust,
including the preparation of a registration statement under the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) (see “Measures to be Adopted if the
Trust Becomes an Open-end Fund -- Timing” below), and the payment of necessary
fees with respect to such registration statement and the sale of Shares in
various states. The Board of Trustees has been advised that these
conversion expenses, which would be paid by the Trust and would result in a
one-time increase in the Trust’s expenses, could be expected to total at least
$150,000. Because the Trust is unable to determine at this time the
actual costs that would be involved, it is possible that the conversion expenses
would be substantially higher.
6. Potential Benefits to the Trust’s
Investment Adviser. The process of converting the Trust
to an open-end investment company could potentially benefit the Trust’s
Investment Adviser. The Investment Adviser is currently paid a fee
based on the total net assets of the Trust, and, if following the conversion,
the Trust was able to sell more shares than it redeemed, that could increase its
net assets and could increase the fees paid to the Investment
Adviser.
MEASURES THAT MAY BE ADOPTED
IF THE TRUST BECOMES AN OPEN-END INVESTMENT COMPANY
If the Shareholders voted to convert
the Trust to an open-end fund, the Board of Trustees may take the following
actions.
1. Redemption Fee. In
order to reduce the number of redemptions of the Shares immediately following
the conversion of the Trust to an open-end investment company (thereby reducing
any disruption of the Trust’s normal portfolio management) and to offset the
brokerage and other costs of such redemptions, the Board of Trustees may decide
that the Trust should impose a redemption fee for a period of time, to be
retained by the Trust, of up to 2.00% of the redemption proceeds payable by the
Trust on all redemptions. While not required, such a fee would be
similar to fees that have been proposed by other funds considering a conversion
from a closed-end investment company to open-end investment company
status. In an effort to deter market timing of Shares after the
conversion of the Trust to an open-end investment company, the Board of Trustees
may also decide to impose redemption fees in connection with transactions within
a certain period of time after the purchase of Shares from the
Trust.
2. Underwriting and
Distribution. If the Shareholders voted to convert the Trust
to an open-end investment company, the Board would consider whether to select a
principal underwriter of the Shares. The Shares could be offered and
sold directly by the Trust itself, and by any other broker-dealers who enter
into selling agreements with the principal underwriter. The Trust has
engaged in no discussions with prospective principal underwriters, and there can
be no assurance regarding whether satisfactory arrangements with a principal
underwriter would be achieved. The Board of Trustees reserves the
right to cause the Trust to enter into an underwriting agreement with a
principal underwriter in such form and subject to such conditions as the Board
of Trustees deems desirable. If a principal underwriter were
selected, there could be no assurance that any such broker-dealer firms would be
able to generate sufficient sales of Shares to offset redemptions, particularly
in the initial months following conversion. Under these circumstances, the Board
of Trustees may consider other courses of action, including the liquidation of
the Trust.
3. Effect on the Trust’s Declaration of
Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides that, if the
Shareholders voted to change the Trust’s subclassification under the 1940 Act
from a closed-end investment company to an open-end investment company,
provisions in the Declaration of Trust (set forth in Exhibit A to this Proxy
Statement) would become effective that authorize the issuance of redeemable
securities at NAV and provide that the outstanding Shares will be redeemable at
the option of the Shareholders. In addition, the Declaration of Trust
provides that if the Trust becomes an open-end fund and is no longer required by
stock exchange rules to hold annual meetings for the election of Trustees, the
Board of Trustees may submit a proposal, which may be adopted by vote of a
majority of the Trust’s outstanding Shares, that the Trust cease to hold annual
meetings of its Shareholders and that it eliminate its staggered Board of
Trustees. These actions would have the consequence of requiring
Shareholders’ meetings to be held only when required by the 1940 Act, either for
the election of Trustees (if a majority of the Trustees in office were not
elected by the Shareholders) or to approve specific matters in accordance with
the 1940 Act’s requirements.
4. Timing. If the
Shareholders voted to convert the Trust to an open-end investment company, a
number of steps would be required to implement such conversion, including the
preparation, filing and effectiveness of a registration statement under the
Securities Act covering the offering of the Shares and the negotiation and
execution of a new or amended agreement with the Trust’s transfer
agent. It is anticipated that such conversion would become effective
by approximately by April 1, 2010 and that the discount, if any, at which the
Shares trade in relation to their NAV would be reduced in anticipation of the
ability to redeem Shares at NAV upon the completion of the
conversion. The provisions of the Declaration of Trust set forth in
Appendix C would become effective simultaneously with the effectiveness of the
registration statement referred to above under the Securities
Act. If, as noted immediately above in “Effect on the Trust’s
Declaration of Trust,” the Board of Trustees submitted, and Shareholders
approved, a proposal that the Trust no longer hold annual meetings of
Shareholders after becoming an open-end investment company, the attendant
savings in the cost of holding such meetings (see “Differences Between Open-end
and Closed-end Investment Companies -- Annual Shareholders Meetings”) would
accrue in the years following such approval.
REQUIRED
VOTE
An affirmative vote of a majority of
all outstanding Shares is required to approve the conversion of the Trust from a
closed-end investment company into an open-end investment
company. Abstentions and “non-votes” will be treated as votes present
and not cast at the meeting. Abstentions and “non-votes” will,
however, have the effect of votes in opposition to this Proposal 2.
The Board of Trustees recommends that
Shareholders vote “AGAINST” conversion of the Trust from a closed-end investment
company into an open-end investment company. The persons named in the
accompanying proxy will, in the absence of contrary instructions, vote all
proxies “AGAINST” this Proposal 2.
MISCELLANEOUS
Proxies
will be solicited by mail and may be solicited in person or by telephone, email
or facsimile by officers or employees of the Trust. The Trust has also retained
The Altman Group to assist in the solicitation of proxies from Shareholders at
an anticipated cost not to exceed [$7,000] plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket
expenses. The expenses connected with the solicitation of these proxies and with
any further proxies that may be solicited by such officers or employees of the
Trust or by The Altman Group in person or by telephone, email or facsimile will
be borne by the Trust. The Trust will reimburse banks, brokers and other persons
holding Shares registered in their names or in the names of their nominees for
their expenses incurred in sending proxy material to and obtaining proxies from
the beneficial owners of such Shares.
The Trust’s annual report for the
year ended December 31, 2008, including financial statements, was mailed on or
about February 27, 2009 to shareholders of record. However, a copy of this
report will be provided, without charge, to any shareholder upon request. Please
call 1-800-343-9567 or write to the Taiwan Greater China Fund, c/o the Secretary
of the Trust, Nanking
Road Capital Management, LLC, 111 Gillett Street, Hartford, CT 06105, to
request the report.
In the event that a quorum is not
obtained for the transaction of business at the Meeting by September 9, 2009,
the persons named as proxies in the enclosed proxy may propose one or more
adjournments of the Meeting to permit further solicitation of proxies in order
to obtain such a quorum. Any such adjournment would require the affirmative vote
of the holders of a majority of the Shares voting that are present in person or
by proxy at the session of the Meeting to be adjourned. The persons named as
proxies in the enclosed proxy will vote in favor of such adjournment, if a
quorum is not obtained, all shares represented by proxy, including abstained and
broker non-votes. The costs of any such additional solicitation and of any
adjourned session will be borne by the Trust.
SECTION
16(A) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act and Section 30(h) of the 1940 Act, as applied to the
Trust, require that the Trust’s officers, Trustees and persons who beneficially
own more than ten percent of the Trust’s Shares (“Reporting Persons”) file
reports of ownership of the Trust’s Shares and changes in such ownership with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Based solely upon
a review of Forms 3 and 4 and amendments thereto furnished to the Trust pursuant
to Rule 16a-3(e) under the Exchange Act during fiscal year 2008 and Form 5 and
amendments thereto furnished to the Trust with respect to fiscal year 2008, the
Trust believes that all Reporting Persons made timely filings.
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSALS AND NOMINATIONS
Any proposal by a Shareholder intended
to be presented at the 2010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders must be received by
the Taiwan Greater China Fund, c/o the Secretary of the Trust, Nanking
Road Capital Management, LLC, 111 Gillett Street, Hartford, CT 06105, not
later than May 1, 2010. The Board of Trustees will consider whether
any such proposal should be submitted to a Shareholder vote in light of
applicable rules and interpretations promulgated by the SEC but a Shareholder’s
timely submission of a proposal will not automatically confer a right to have
that proposal presented for a vote at the Trust’s 2010 Annual Meeting. Any
nomination by a Shareholder of a person to stand for election as a Trustee at
the 2010 Annual Meeting must be received by the Trust, c/o Secretary, Nanking
Road Capital Management, 111 Gillett Street, LLC, Hartford, CT
06105, U.S.A., not later than May 1,
2010.
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BY
ORDER OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
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Regina
Foley
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Secretary
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July
30, 2009
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EXHIBIT A
ARTICLE
X OF THE TRUST’S DECLARATION OF TRUST REDEMPTIONS
In
the event that the Shareholders of the Trust vote to convert the Trust from a
“Closed-end company” to an “Open-end company”. . . , the following provisions
shall, upon the effectiveness of such conversion, become effective:
SECTION
10.1. REDEMPTIONS. All outstanding Shares may be redeemed
at the option of the holders thereof, upon and subject to the terms and
conditions provided in this Article X. The Trust shall, upon
application of any Shareholder or pursuant to authorization from any
Shareholder, redeem or repurchase from such Shareholder outstanding Shares for
an amount per Share determined by the Trustees in accordance with any applicable
laws and regulations; provided that (a) such amount per Share shall not exceed
the cash equivalent of the proportionate interest of each Share in the assets of
the Trust attributable thereto at the time of the redemption or repurchase and
(b) if so authorized by the Trustees, the Trust may, at any time and from time
to time, charge fees for effecting such redemption or repurchase, at such rates
as the Trustees may establish, as and to the extent permitted under the 1940
Act, and may, at any time and from time to time, pursuant to the 1940 Act,
suspend such right of redemption. The procedures for and fees, if
any, chargeable in connection with the effecting and suspending redemption of
Shares shall be as set forth in the prospectus filed as part of the Trust’s
effective Registration Statement with the Commission from time to
time. Payment will be made in such manner as described in such
prospectus.
SECTION
10.2. REDEMPTIONS OF ACCOUNTS. The Trustees may redeem
Shares of any Shareholder at a redemption price determined in accordance with
Section 10.1 if, immediately following a redemption of Shares for any reason,
the aggregate net asset value of the Shares in such Shareholder’s account is
less than an amount determined by the Trustees. If the Trustees
redeem Shares pursuant to this Section 10.2, a Shareholder will be notified that
the value of his account is less than such amount and be allowed sixty (60) days
to make an additional investment before the redemption is
processed.
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS OF
TAIWAN
GREATER CHINA FUND
September
10, 2009
This
Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Trustees
Please
date, sign and mail
your
proxy card in the
envelope
provided as soon
as
possible.
Please
detach along perforated line and mail in the envelope provided.
Please
note that the Trust has retained The Altman Group to assist in the solicitation
of proxies from Shareholders.
Signature
of Shareholder Date: Signature of Shareholder Date:
To change
the address on your account, please check the box at right and indicate your new
address in the address space above. Please note that changes to the registered
name(s) on the account may not be submitted via this method.
The
following items are proposed by the Trust:
1.
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The
election of two Trustees: Mr. Edward B. Collins, to serve for a term
expiring on the date of the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or the
special meeting held in lieu thereof; and Mr. Tsung-Ming Chung, to serve
for a term expiring on the date of the 2012 Annual Meeting of Shareholders
or the special meeting held in lieu
thereof.
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2.
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Consider
whether to approve the conversion of the Trust from a closed-end
investment company into an open-end investment
company
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For
all Nominees
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Withheld
from all Nominees
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For
all Nominees EXCEPT
Nominee(s)
written below
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For
Proposal 2
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Withheld
from Proposal 2
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Against
Proposal 2
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Properly
executed proxies will be voted in the manner directed herein by the undersigned.
If no such directions are given, such proxies will be voted FOR Proposal 1 and
AGAINST Proposal 2.
Please
sign and return promptly in the enclosed envelope. No postage is required if
mailed in the United States.
PLEASE
SIGN, DATE AND RETURN PROMPTLY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
PLEASE
MARK YOUR VOTE IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS SHOWN HERE x
TO INCLUDE ANY COMMENTS, USE THE
COMMENTS BOX ON THE REVERSE SIDE OF THIS CARD.
Note:
Please sign exactly as your name or names appear on this Proxy. When shares are
held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing as executor, administrator,
attorney, trustee or guardian, please give full title as such. If the signer is
a corporation, please sign full corporate name by duly authorized officer,
giving full title as such. If signer is a partnership, please sign in
partnership name by authorized person.
TAIWAN
GREATER CHINA FUND
This
Proxy is Solicited on Behalf of the Board of Trustees
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders
September
10, 2009
The
undersigned hereby appoints Pedro-Pablo Kuczynski, Steven R. Champion and Regina
Foley, or each or either of them, as Proxies of the undersigned, with full power
of substitution to each of them, to vote all shares of the Taiwan Greater China
Fund (the "Trust") which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual
Meeting of Shareholders of the Trust (the "Meeting") to be held at the offices
of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 50 Milk Street, Boston, MA 02109-3661,
Tuesday, September 10, 2009 at 9:30 a.m., Eastern time, and at any adjournment
thereof, in the manner indicated on the reverse side and, in their discretion,
on any other business that may properly come before the Meeting or at any such
adjournment.
(Continued
and to be signed on the reverse side.)
COMMENTS: