Persistence Gold Group Ltd — Capital/Financing Update 2016

May 24, 2016

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited take no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, 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 announcement.

APAC RESOURCES LIMITED

亞 太 資 源 有 限 公 司[*]

(Incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability)

(Stock Code: 1104)

CONNECTED TRANSACTION

IN RELATION TO THE SUBSCRIPTION OF FIVE-YEAR GUARANTEED 4.75% NOTE DUE 31 MAY 2021

On 24 May 2016, the Subscriber has subscribed for and the Issuer has confirmed the allocation amount to the Subscriber of the First Tranche Note in the principal amount of US$4.0 million (equivalent to approximately HK$31.1 million) to be issued under the Note Programme.

As the applicable Percentage Ratio(s) for the Company in respect of the Subscription exceed 0.1% but are less than 5%, the Subscription is only subject to the reporting and announcement requirements but exempt from the circular and the shareholders’ approval requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules.

On 24 May 2016, the Subscriber has subscribed for and the Issuer has confirmed the allocation amount to the Subscriber of the First Tranche Note in the principal amount of US$4.0 million (equivalent to approximately HK$31.1 million) to be issued under the Note Programme.

THE SUBSCRIPTION

Allocation date

24 May 2016

Parties

Issuer: Sun Hung Kai & Co. (BVI) Limited

Subscriber: APAC Resources Treasury Management Limited

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Subscription amount

The total principal amount of the First Tranche Note allocated to the Subscriber is US$4.0 million (equivalent to approximately HK$31.1 million) out of the total issue of an aggregate principal amount of approximately US$361.6 million First Tranche Note, being part of the Note Programme. The subscription amount was satisfied by the Group’s internal resources.

Principal terms of the Subscription Note

• Issue date: 31 May 2016 Issuer: Sun Hung Kai & Co. (BVI) Limited Guarantor: SHK Issue price: 100% of the aggregate principal amount Principal amount: Subscription by the Subscriber for US$4.0 million out of the total issue amount of approximately US$361.6 million First Tranche Note under the Note Programme

• Interest rate: 4.75% per annum

• Interest payment dates: payable semi-annually in arrears on 31 May and 30 November of each year, beginning on 30 November 2016

• Managers: UBS AG Hong Kong Branch, AMTD Asset Management Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Standard Chartered Bank, China Everbright Securities (HK) Limited and Sun Hung Kai Investment Services Limited

• Maturity date: 31 May 2021 Listing: Application will be made for the listing of and permission to deal in the First Tranche Note on the Stock Exchange

• Status: The First Tranche Note and the guarantee by the Guarantor will constitute unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Issuer and the Guarantor respectively

• Voting rights: The holder of the First Tranche Note will not be entitled to attend or vote at any shareholder meeting of SHK by reason only of it being a holder of the First Tranche Note

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Early redemption:

• Following the occurrence of a Change of Control, each holder of the First Tranche Note will have the right, at such holder’s option, to require the Issuer (failing whom the Guarantor) to redeem all, or some only, of that holder’s First Tranche Note at 101% of the aggregate principal amount of the First Tranche Note outstanding together with interest accrued.

• The First Tranche Note may be redeemed at the option of the Issuer in whole, but not in part, at 100% of the outstanding principal amount (together with any interest accrued) if the Issuer (or, if the guarantee were called, the Guarantor) has or will become obliged to pay additional amounts of taxation as a result of any change in or amendment to the laws or regulations of the British Virgin Islands or Hong Kong or any other authority having power to tax additional amount to the Issuer and such obligation cannot be avoided by the Issuer.

Early redemption of the First Tranche Note on event of default or any other reasons other than Change of Control will be at 100% of the aggregate principal amount of the First Tranche Note outstanding together with interest accrued.

Final redemption:

• Unless previously redeemed and cancelled, the Issuer will redeem the First Tranche Note at its outstanding principal amount on the maturity date, i.e. 31 May 2021.

Completion:

Completion of the Subscription is expected to take place on 31 May 2016.

REASONS FOR AND BENEFITS OF THE SUBSCRIPTION

The Group has not participated in the negotiation of the terms of the issue of the First Tranche Note. The terms of the First Tranche Note were arrived at after arm’s length negotiation between the Issuer and the Managers. The terms of the Subscription Note subscribed by the Subscriber are the same as those generally applicable to other First Tranche Note.

The Subscription forms part of the Group’s on-going treasury management arrangement and will provide interest income to the Group. The First Tranche Note will be recorded as loan note under noncurrent assets of the Group. The subscription of the First Tranche Note will be funded by existing cash held by the Group.

The Directors (including the independent non-executive directors) are of the view that the terms of the Subscription are based on normal commercial terms and are fair and reasonable in the interests of the Company and its shareholders taken as a whole.

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INFORMATION ON THE SUBSCRIBER, THE COMPANY, THE ISSUER AND SHK

The Subscriber

The Subscriber is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands with limited liability and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The principal activities of the Subscriber are treasury management.

The Company

The Company is incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability and the shares of which are listed on the Main Board.

The Group is an established natural resource investment fund and commodity trading house which owns strategic interests in natural resource companies with the main business lines comprising of primary strategic investment; resource investment; and commodity trading business, focused primarily on metals and energy.

The Issuer

The Issuer is a company incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with limited liability and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SHK established for the purpose of issuing the Note Programme.

SHK

SHK is incorporated in Hong Kong with limited liability and the shares of which are listed on the Main Board and is a non wholly-owned subsidiary of APL.

The principal business activity of SHK is investment holding. The principal business activities of its major subsidiaries are structured finance, consumer finance, mortgage loans and principal investments.

LISTING RULES IMPLICATIONS

As APL is a substantial shareholder of the Company and SHK is a subsidiary of APL, SHK and its subsidiaries (including the Issuer) are connected persons of the Company within the meaning of the Listing Rules. As a result, the Subscription constitutes a connected transaction of the Company.

As the applicable Percentage Ratio(s) for the Company in respect of the Subscription exceed 0.1% but are less than 5%, the Subscription is only subject to the reporting and announcement requirements but exempt from the circular and the shareholders’ approval requirements under Chapter 14A of the Listing Rules.

Mr. Lee Seng Hui (being a non-executive Director) is one of the trustees of Lee and Lee Trust, being a discretionary trust which, together with his personal interests, indirectly owns approximately 73.91% interests in the total issued shares of AGL, which in turn owns approximately 74.97% of the total issued shares of APL, and which in turn indirectly owns approximately 24.22% of the total issued

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shares of the Company. Since APL indirectly owns approximately 55.74% interests in the total issued shares of SHK, Mr. Lee Seng Hui is deemed to be interested in the connected transaction in respect of the Subscription and therefore has abstained from voting on the relevant resolutions of the Company.

Mr. Chang Chu Fai, Johnson Francis (an independent non-executive Director) has declared that he has subscribed for certain of the First Tranche Note in his own personal capacity and therefore has abstained from voting on the relevant resolutions of the Company.

Apart from the above, none of the Directors has any material interest in the Subscription and is required to abstain from voting on the relevant resolutions of the Company approving the Subscription and the transactions contemplated thereunder.

DEFINITIONS

‘‘AGL’’	Allied Group Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong with
	limited liability, the shares of which are listed on the Main Board
	(Stock Code: 373) and is a substantial shareholder of APL, SHK and
	the Company
‘‘APL’’	Allied Properties (H.K.) Limited, a company incorporated in Hong
	Kong with limited liability, the shares of which are listed on the Main
	Board (Stock Code: 56 and Warrant Code: 1183) and is a substantial
	shareholder of the Company and SHK
‘‘Board’’	the board of Directors
‘‘Change of Control’’	occurs when: (i) the Controlling Shareholder ceases to have Control of
	the Guarantor; or (ii) the Guarantor consolidates with or merges into or
	sells or transfers all or substantially all of the Guarantor’s assets to any
	person or persons other than the Controlling Shareholder (collectively
	or individually), unless the consolidation, merger, sale or transfer will
	not result in the Controlling Shareholder (collectively or individually)
	ceasing to have Control over the Guarantor or the successor entity
‘‘Control’’	the direct or indirect ownership of, or the power to control directly or
	indirectly, at least 35% of the voting rights of the issued share capital
	of the Guarantor
‘‘Controlling Shareholder’’	the trustees of the Lee and Lee Trust
‘‘Company’’	APAC Resources Limited, a company incorporated in Bermuda with
	limited liability, the shares of which are listed on the Main Board
	(Stock Code: 1104)
‘‘connected person(s)’’	having the meaning ascribed to it under the Listing Rules

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‘‘Directors’’	the directors of the Company
‘‘First Tranche Note’’	the first tranche of the notes in the principal amount of approximately
	US$361.6 million to be issued under the Note Programme
‘‘Group’’	the Company and its subsidiaries
‘‘HK$’’	Hong Kong dollars, the lawful currency of Hong Kong
‘‘Hong Kong’’	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of
	China
‘‘Issuer’’	Sun Hung Kai & Co. (BVI) Limited, a company incorporated under the
	laws of the British Virgin Islands with limited liability and is a wholly-
	owned subsidiary of SHK
‘‘Listing Rules’’	Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange
‘‘Main Board’’	Main Board of the Stock Exchange (excludes the option market)
	operated by the Stock Exchange which is independent from and
	operated in parallel with the Growth Enterprise Market of the Stock
	Exchange
‘‘Note Programme’’	the guaranteed medium term note programme under which medium
	term notes for an aggregate principal amount of not exceeding US$2.0
	billion (equivalent to approximately HK$15.5 billion) may be issued
	from time to time by the Issuer and guaranteed by SHK
	unconditionally and irrevocably
‘‘Percentage Ratio(s)’’	percentage ratio(s) as set out in Rule 14.07 of the Listing Rules to be
	applied for determining the classification of a transaction
‘‘PRC’’	The People’s Republic of China, for the purpose of this announcement
	only, excludes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau Special Administrative
	Region of the People’s Republic of China
‘‘Shareholder(s)’’	holder(s) of the shares of the Company
‘‘Share(s)’’	ordinary share(s) of the Company
‘‘SHK’’ or ‘‘Guarantor’’	Sun Hung Kai & Co. Limited, a company incorporated in Hong Kong
	with limited liability, the shares of which are listed on the Main Board
	(Stock Code: 86), and an indirect non wholly-owned subsidiary of APL
‘‘Stock Exchange’’	The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

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• ‘‘Subscriber’’ APAC Resources Treasury Management Limited, a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands with limited liability and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company

• ‘‘Subscription’’

• the subscription of the Subscription Note by the Subscriber in the principal amount of US$4.0 million pursuant to the terms and conditions of the First Tranche Note

• ‘‘Subscription Note’’ US$4.0 million principal amount of the First Tranche Note allocated to the Subscriber

• ‘‘US$’’ United States Dollars, the lawful currency of the United States of America

• ‘‘%’’ per cent.

By Order of the Board APAC Resources Limited Arthur George Dew Chairman

Hong Kong, 24 May 2016

As at the date of this announcement, the directors of the Company are:

Executive Directors

Mr. Brett Robert Smith (Deputy Chairman) and Mr. Andrew Ferguson (Chief Executive Officer)

Non-executive Directors

Mr. Arthur George Dew (Chairman), Mr. Lee Seng Hui and Mr. So Kwok Hoo

Independent Non-Executive Directors

Dr. Wong Wing Kuen, Albert, Mr. Chang Chu Fai, Johnson Francis and Mr. Robert Moyse Willcocks

• For identification purpose only

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