UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 14A
(Rule 14a-101)
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN PROXY STATEMENT
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 a party other than the Registrant ¨
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¨ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
¨ | Confidential, For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
þ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
¨ | Definitive Additional Materials |
¨ | Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12 |
THE TAIWAN FUND, INC.
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if Other Than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
þ | No fee required. |
¨ | Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. |
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(2) | Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies: |
(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): |
(4) | Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction: |
(5) | Total fee paid: |
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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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THE TAIWAN FUND, INC.
c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company,
P.O. Box 5049, 2 Avenue de Lafayette,
Boston, Massachusetts 02206-5049
For questions about the Proxy Statement, please call (877) 864-5056
March 8, 2013
Dear Stockholder:
Enclosed you will find a Notice and Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. (the Fund) to be held on April 23, 2013.
The matter on which you, as a stockholder of the Fund, are being asked to vote is the election of the Funds directors.
After reviewing the matter carefully, the Board of Directors recommends that you vote FOR the proposal.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT, REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SHARES YOU OWN. PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO REVIEW THIS MATERIAL AND CAST YOUR VOTE BY TELEPHONE, BY INTERNET OR BY USING THE ENCLOSED FORM OF PROXY CARD. YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE IS NEEDED TO AVOID FOLLOW-UP MAILINGS WHICH WOULD INCREASE THE COSTS PAID BY ALL STOCKHOLDERS.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Respectfully,
TRACIE A. COOP
Secretary
THE TAIWAN FUND, INC.
Notice of the Annual Meeting of Stockholders
April 23, 2013
To the Stockholders of The Taiwan Fund, Inc.:
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the Meeting) of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. (the Fund) will be held at the offices of Clifford Chance US LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019, on April 23, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., local time, for the following purposes:
(1) To elect six directors to serve for the ensuing year.
(2) To transact such other business as may properly come before the Meeting or any adjournments thereof.
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 1, 2013 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting or any adjournments thereof.
You are cordially invited to attend the Meeting. Stockholders who do not expect to attend the Meeting in person are requested to vote by telephone, by Internet or by completing, dating and signing the enclosed form of proxy and returning it promptly in the envelope provided for that purpose. The enclosed proxy is being solicited by the Board of Directors of the Fund.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE MEETING ON APRIL 23, 2013: This Notice and the Proxy Statement are available on the Internet at www.proxy-direct.com/tai-24433.
By order of the Board of Directors
TRACIE A. COOP
Secretary
March 8, 2013
PROXY STATEMENT
THE TAIWAN FUND, INC.
INTRODUCTION
This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation of proxies by the Board of Directors of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. (the Fund) for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the Meeting), to be held at the offices of Clifford Chance US LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019, on April 23, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., local time, and at any adjournments thereof.
This Proxy Statement and the form of proxy card are being mailed to stockholders on or about March 8, 2013. Any stockholder giving a proxy has the power to revoke it by executing a superseding proxy by telephone, Internet or mail following the process described on the proxy card or by submitting a notice of revocation to the Fund or in person at the Meeting. All properly executed proxies received in time for the Meeting will be voted as specified in the proxy or, if no specification is made, for the election of directors, as described in this Proxy Statement.
For purposes of determining the presence of a quorum for transacting business at the Meeting, executed proxies returned without marking a vote on Proposal 1 will be treated as shares that are present for quorum purposes. Abstentions are included in the determination of the number of shares present at the Meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum. If a stockholder is present in person or by proxy at the Meeting but does not cast a vote, the stockholders shares will count towards a quorum but will have no effect on Proposal 1.
The Board of Directors has fixed the close of business on March 1, 2013 as the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the Meeting and at any adjournment thereof. Stockholders on the record date will be entitled to one vote for each share held, with no shares having cumulative voting rights. As of the record date, the Fund had outstanding 8,536,309 shares of common stock.
Management of the Fund knows of no business other than those mentioned in Proposal 1 of the Notice of Meeting which will be presented for consideration at the Meeting. If any other matter is properly presented, it is the intention of the persons named in the enclosed proxy to vote in accordance with their best judgment.
The Fund will furnish, without charge, a copy of its annual report for its fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 to any stockholder requesting such report. Requests for the annual report should be made in writing to The Taiwan Fund, Inc., c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company, P.O. Box 5049, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02206-5049, Attention: Chad Hallet, or by accessing the Funds website at www.thetaiwanfund.com or by calling (877) 864-5056.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This Proxy Statement discusses important matters affecting the Fund. Please take the time to read the proxy statement, and then cast your vote. You may obtain additional copies of the Notice of Meeting, Proxy Statement and form of proxy card by calling (877) 864-5056 or by accessing www.proxy-direct.com/tai-24433. There are multiple ways to vote. Choose the method that is most convenient for you. To vote by telephone or Internet, follow the instructions provided on the proxy card. To vote by mail simply fill out the proxy card and return it in the enclosed postage-paid reply envelope. Please do not return your proxy card if you vote by telephone or Internet. To vote in person, attend the
Meeting and cast your vote. The Meeting will be held at the offices of Clifford Chance US LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019. To obtain directions to the Meeting, go to: www.cliffordchance.com, click on Locations and select United States from the drop down menu. Click on View Map to see a map of the location. You may also obtain directions by calling 1-212-878-8000.
PROPOSAL 1 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
Persons named in the accompanying form of proxy intend in the absence of contrary instruction to vote all proxies for the election of the six nominees listed below as directors of the Fund to serve for the next year, or until their successors are elected and qualified. Each of the nominees for director has consented to be named in this Proxy Statement and to serve as a director of the Fund if elected. The Board of Directors of the Fund has no reason to believe that any of the nominees named below will become unavailable for election as a director, but if that should occur before the Annual Meeting for the Fund, the persons named as proxies in the proxy cards will vote for such persons as the Board of Directors of the Fund may recommend. None of the directors is an interested person of the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act) (each an Independent Director)).
Information Concerning Nominees
The following table sets forth certain information concerning each of the nominees as a director. Each nominee, with the exception of William Kirby, is currently serving as a director of the Fund.
Name, Address, and Age |
Position(s) |
Director Since |
Principal During Past Five |
Other | ||||||
Current Independent Directors |
||||||||||
M. Christopher Canavan, Jr. (73) 73 Brook Street Wellesley, MA 02482 |
Director | 2003 | Retired; Independent Consultant (2000-2010). | |||||||
Michael F. Holland (68) 375 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10152 |
Director | 2007 | Chairman, Holland & Company LLC (1995-present). | Director, The Holland Balanced Fund, Inc., The China Fund, Inc. and Reaves Utility Income Fund; Trustee, State Street Master Funds and State Street Institutional Investment Trust; Blackstone GSO Floating Rate Fund, Inc. | ||||||
William C. Kirby (62) Harvard University CGIS South Building 1730 Cambridge Street Cambridge, MA 02138 |
Nominee for Director | N/A | Director, John K. Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University (2006-present); Chairman, Harvard China Fund (2006-present); Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor (2006-present); Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Harvard University (2002-2006). | Director, The China Fund, Inc. |
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Name, Address, and Age |
Position(s) |
Director Since |
Principal During Past Five |
Other | ||||||
Anthony Kai Yiu Lo (64) 2/F, Hong Villa 12 Bowen Street, Hong Kong |
Director | 2003 | Chairman, Shanghai-Century Capital Ltd. (January 2009-present); Chairman and Co-CEO, Shanghai Century Acquisition Inc. (January 2006-March 2009). | Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee, Mecox Lane Limited (October 2010-present); Director, Bosera China Fund plc (October 2010-present). | ||||||
Joe O. Rogers, Ph.D. (64) 2477 Foxwood Drive Chapel Hill, NC 27514 |
Director | 1986 | President, Rogers International LLC (investment consultation) (2010-present); Visiting Professor Fudan University School of Management (August 2010-2011). | Chairman of the Board, Director and Member of the Audit Committee, The China Fund, Inc. | ||||||
Bing Shen (63) 1755 Jackson Street, #405 San Francisco, CA 94109 |
Director | 2007 | Independent Consultant (2005-present). | Supervisor and Chairman of the Audit Committee, CTCI Corporation; Director, Delta Networks, Inc., Independent Director, Far Eastern International Bank. |
Leadership Structure and Board of Directors
The Board has general oversight responsibility with respect to the business and affairs of the Fund. The Board is responsible for overseeing the operations of the Fund in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, other applicable laws and the Funds Articles of Incorporation. The Board is currently composed of five Independent Directors and one of the Independent Directors serves as Chairman of the Board. If all nominees for Director are approved by stockholders, the Board will be composed of six Independent Directors. Generally, the Board acts by majority vote of all of the Directors, including a majority vote of the Independent Directors if required by applicable law. The Funds day-to-day operations are managed by the Adviser and other service providers who have been approved by the Board. The Board meets periodically throughout the year to oversee the Funds activities, review contractual arrangements with service providers, oversee compliance with regulatory requirements and review performance. The Board has determined that its leadership structure is appropriate given the size of the Board, the extensive experience of each Director with the Fund and the nature of the Fund.
The existing Directors were selected to serve and continue, and Mr. Kirby was nominated to serve, on the Board based upon their skills, experience, judgment, analytical ability, diligence, ability to work effectively with other Directors and a commitment to the interests of stockholders and a demonstrated willingness to take an independent and questioning view of management. As a result of his substantial prior service as a Director of the Fund and, in several cases, as a director of other investment companies, each existing Director currently also has considerable familiarity with the Fund, Martin Currie, Inc. (the Adviser) and APS Asset Management Pte Ltd (the Sub-Adviser). In addition, each of the existing Directors and Mr. Kirby also is familiar with State Street Bank and Trust Company (the Administrator), and its operations, as well as the special regulatory requirements governing registered investment companies and the special responsibilities of investment company directors. In addition to those qualifications, the following is a brief summary of the specific experience, qualifications or skills that led to the conclusion, as of the date of this proxy statement, that each person identified below should serve as a
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Director for the Fund. References to the qualifications, attributes and skills of the Directors are pursuant to requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and do not constitute a holding out of the Board or any Director or nominee for Director as having any special expertise and should not be considered to impose any greater responsibility or liability on any such person or on the Board by reason thereof. As required by rules the SEC has adopted under the 1940 Act, the Funds Independent Directors select and nominate all candidates for Independent Director positions.
M. Christopher Canavan, Jr. Mr. Canavan is currently the Chairman of the Audit Committee and has served as a Director of the Fund since 2003. He has provided financial accounting, auditing and consulting services for over 40 years. Mr. Canavans experience includes over 27 years of service as a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP and its predecessor firms, and over 10 years of service as an independent consultant providing financial consulting services.
Michael F. Holland. Mr. Holland has served as a Director of the Fund since 2007. He has worked in the investment management industry for over 40 years. Mr. Hollands experience includes service as the Chairman of Holland & Company (an investment management company), which he founded in 1995, and as the chief executive officer, chairman or vice chairman of other major U.S. asset management firms including Salomon Brothers Asset Management, First Boston Asset Management and Oppenheimer & Co., Inc. He is a regular guest on several financial television programs and is regularly quoted in leading financial publications. Mr. Holland also serves on the boards of other charitable and listed companies.
William C. Kirby. Mr. Kirby is a nominee for Director of the Fund. He is T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies at Harvard University and Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. Mr. Kirby is a historian of modern China, whose work examines Chinas business, economic and political development in an international context. He has served the academic community for over 30 years. Mr. Kirby joined Harvard University in 1992, where he currently serves various positions including Chairman of the Harvard China Fund and Director of the John K. Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. He has also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Council on East Asian Studies and the Director of the National Resource Center for East Asia for Harvard University. Prior to joining Harvard University, Mr. Kirby served as the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Director of Asian Studies and Director of International Affairs at Washington University. Mr. Kirby has published numerous books and articles related to Chinese business and history.
Anthony Kai Yiu Lo. Mr. Lo has served as a Director of the Fund since 2003. He has worked in the investment management and investment banking industry for over 30 years. Mr. Los experience includes service as the founding Chairman and Co-CEO of Shanghai Century Acquisition Corporations, which was listed on the American Stock Exchange. His experience also includes his role as founder of Advantage Limited and Suez Asia Capital Management Co. Ltd. and his service as a managing director of ABN Amro Asia Ltd., HG Asia Ltd. and Schroders Asia Ltd. Mr. Lo also serves on the boards and audit committees of other companies publicly listed in Hong Kong and on the NASDAQ.
Joe O. Rogers. Mr. Rogers has served as a Director of the Fund since the Funds inception in 1986. He has provided business and investment consulting services for over 30 years. Mr. Rogers experience includes service as the president, vice president or partner in business and investment consulting firms including Rogers International LLC, PHH Asia Corporation and PHH Fantus Consulting. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank under President Ronald Regan. Mr. Rogers also served the U.S. House of Representatives in various capacities including Executive Director and International Relations Counselor of the Republican Conference and served as the chief economist and budget advisor to Senator William Armstrong. He has also lectured on economics and finance at various U.S. based and
4
internationally based universities and served as a Visiting Professor of Finance at Fudan University in Shanghai. Mr. Rogers also serves on the boards of other listed companies.
Bing Shen. Mr. Shen has served as a Director of the Fund since 2007. He has worked in financial services, including investment management, since 1973. Mr. Shens experience includes his service as Supervisor and Chairman of the Audit Committee of CTCI Corporation, an engineering and construction company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, and a Special Observer of the Oversight Committee of DynaFund, a venture capital fund. His experience also includes his service at the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and executive positions at Morgan Stanley Group, China Development Industrial Bank and CBID & Partners Investment Holding Corporation. He also serves on the boards of other listed and private companies.
The Funds Board of Directors has a separately designated Audit Committee established in accordance with Section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act) which is responsible for reviewing financial and accounting matters. The Funds Audit Committee is composed of directors who are independent (as defined in the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (NYSE) listing standards, as may be modified or supplemented) and not interested persons of the Fund and its actions are governed by the Funds Audit Committee Charter, which is posted on the Funds website (www.thetaiwanfund.com). The current members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Canavan, Holland, Lo, Rogers and Shen. The Audit Committee convened four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012.
The Funds Board of Directors has determined that the Fund has at least one audit committee financial expert. Mr. M. Christopher Canavan, Jr., an independent director, has been designated the Funds audit committee financial expert by the Funds Board of Directors.
The Funds Board of Directors has a Nominating Committee, which is responsible for recommending individuals to the Board for nomination as members of the Board and its Committees. The Funds Nominating Committee is composed of directors who are independent as independence is defined in the New York Stock Exchange, Inc.s listing standards, as may be modified or supplemented and are not interested persons of the Fund (as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act) and its actions are governed by the Funds Nominating Committee Charter, which is posted on the Funds website (www.thetaiwanfund.com). Currently, the Nominating Committee does not consider nominees recommended by the stockholders. The Nominating Committee believes that it is not necessary to have such a policy because the Board has had no difficulty identifying qualified candidates to serve as directors. The Nominating Committee evaluates a candidates qualifications for Board membership and the candidates independence from the Funds advisers and other principal service providers. The Nominating Committee does not have specific minimum qualifications that must be met by candidates recommended by the Nominating Committee and there is not a specific process for identifying such candidates. In nominating candidates, the Nominating Committee takes into consideration such factors as it deems appropriate. These factors may include judgment, skill, diversity, experience with businesses or other organizations of comparable size, the interplay of the candidates experience with the experience of other Board members, requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) to maintain a minimum number of independent or non-interested directors, requirements of the SEC as to disclosure regarding persons with financial expertise on the Funds audit committee and the extent to which the candidate generally would be a desirable addition to the Board and any committees of the Board. The Committee believes the Board generally benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this a factor in evaluating the
5
composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy in this regard. The current members of the Nominating Committee are Messrs. Canavan, Lo and Shen. The Nominating Committee convened twice during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012.
The Funds Board of Directors has a Valuation Committee which is responsible for establishing and monitoring policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the Funds assets are valued appropriately, objectively and timely, reflecting current market conditions. The Funds Valuation Committee is composed of directors who are not interested persons of the Fund. The current Directors who are members of the Valuation Committee are Messrs. Holland, Lo and Rogers. The Valuation Committee met once during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012.
During the fiscal year ended August 31, 2013, the Funds Board of Directors had an Investment Management Oversight Committee which was responsible for overseeing and evaluating the nature and quality of the investment services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser in order to assist the Board in overseeing the investment services being provided to the Fund by the Adviser and Sub-Adviser. The member of the Investment Management Oversight Committee was Mr. Shen. The Investment Management Oversight Committee met three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012. At a meeting held on April 24, 2012, the Board dissolved the Investment Management Oversight Committee and assumed the responsibilities that had been accorded to the Investment Management Oversight Committee.
The Funds Board of Directors has a Share Repurchase Program Committee which is responsible for overseeing and evaluating the Funds program to repurchase its shares on the market. The current members of the Share Repurchase Program Committee are Messrs. Rogers, Holland and Shen. The Share Repurchase Program Committee met once during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012.
The Board of Directors of the Fund held four regular meetings and eight special meetings during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, each Director attended at least seventy-five percent of the aggregate number of meetings held during the fiscal year of the Board and of any committee on which he served.
For annual or special stockholder meetings, Directors may but are not required to attend the meetings; and for the Funds last annual stockholder meeting, all of the Directors attended the meeting.
Risk Oversight
The day-to-day operations of the Fund, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser and Administrator. The Directors are responsible for overseeing the Funds service providers and thus have oversight responsibilities with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, stockholder services, investment performance or reputation of the Fund. The Fund and its service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify certain of those possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur.
Not all risks that may affect the Fund can be identified nor can controls be developed to eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects. It may not be practical or cost effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, the processes and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness,
6
and some risks are simply beyond the reasonable control of the Fund or the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser or other service providers. Moreover, it is necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve a Funds goals. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Funds ability to manage risk is subject to substantial limitations.
Risk oversight forms part of the Boards general oversight of the Fund and is addressed as part of various Board and Committee activities. As part of its regular oversight of the Fund, the Board, directly or through a Committee, interacts with and reviews reports from, among others, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Funds Chief Compliance Officer and the independent registered public accounting firm, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by the Fund. The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the Fund by the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the Advisory and Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Board meets with the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser to review the services provided. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the Advisers and the Sub-Advisers adherence to the Funds investment restrictions and compliance with various Fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who oversees the implementation and testing of the Funds compliance program and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Fund and its service providers. The Board, with the assistance of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, reviews investment policies and risks in connection with its review of the Funds performance. In addition, as part of the Boards oversight of the Funds advisory and other service provider agreements, the Board may periodically consider risk management aspects of their operations and the functions for which they are responsible.
Stockholder Communications
Stockholders may send communications to the Funds Board of Directors by addressing the communication directly to the Board (or individual Board members) and/or clearly indicating that the communication is for the Board (or individual Board members). The communication may be sent to either the Funds office or directly to such Board member(s) at the address specified for each Director above. Other stockholder communications received by the Fund not directly addressed and sent to the Board will be reviewed and generally responded to by management, and will be forwarded to the Board only at managements discretion based on the matters contained therein.
Ownership of Securities
The following table sets forth information regarding the ownership of securities in the Fund by the nominees for Director. Each of the nominees, except William Kirby, are also current Directors of the Fund.
Name of Director or Nominee |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen or to be Overseen by Director or Nominee in Family of Investment Companies | ||
Current Directors/Nominees |
||||
M. Christopher Canavan, Jr. |
$1-$10,000 | $1-$10,000 | ||
Michael F. Holland |
$10,001-$50,000 | $10,001-$50,000 |
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Name of Director or Nominee |
Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund |
Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All Funds Overseen or to be Overseen by Director or Nominee in Family of Investment Companies | ||
William Kirby |
None | None | ||
Anthony Kai Yiu Lo |
None | None | ||
Joe O. Rogers |
$50,001-$100,000 | $50,001-$100,000 | ||
Bing Shen |
None | None |
| The term Family of Investment Companies means two or more registered investment companies that share the same investment adviser or principal underwriter and hold themselves out to investors as related companies for the purposes of investment and investor services. The Fund is the only investment company in the Family of Investment Companies. |
No director or nominee for election as director who is not an interested person of the Fund, or any immediate family member of such person, owns securities in the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, or a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser.
Transactions with and Remuneration of Officers and Directors
The aggregate remuneration, including expenses relating to attendance at board meetings reimbursed by the Fund, paid in cash to directors not affiliated with the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser was $324,500 during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012. The Fund currently pays each director that is not affiliated with the Adviser or Sub-Adviser an annual fee of $20,000 plus $2,500 for each directors meeting and committee meeting attended in person, and $2,500 for each meeting attended by telephone.
The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation from the Fund paid to each director during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012, as well as the total compensation earned by each director from the Fund Complex.
Name of Person |
Aggregate Compensation From Fund(1) |
Pension
or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Fund Expenses |
Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement |
Total Compensation From Fund and Fund Complex Paid to Directors(2) |
||||||||||||
M. Christopher Canavan, Jr. |
$ | 65,000 | | | $ | 65,000 | ||||||||||
Michael F. Holland |
$ | 65,000 | | | $ | 65,000 | ||||||||||
William Kirby(3) |
$ | 0 | | | $ | 0 | ||||||||||
Anthony Kai Yiu Lo |
$ | 62,000 | | | $ | 62,000 | ||||||||||
Joe O. Rogers |
$ | 65,000 | | | $ | 65,000 | ||||||||||
Bing Shen |
$ | 67,500 | | | $ | 67,500 |
(1) | Includes all compensation paid to directors by the Fund. The Funds directors do not receive any pension or retirement benefits as compensation for their service as directors of the Fund. |
(2) | There is one fund in the Fund Complex.) |
(3) | Mr. Kirby did not serve as a Director during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012. |
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Required Vote
The election of each director will require the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Meeting and entitled to vote for the election of the directors. For this purpose, votes that are withheld will have no effect on the outcome of the elections.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FUND RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR
THE ELECTION OF THE SIX NOMINEES FOR DIRECTORS.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Officers of the Fund
The following table provides information concerning the officers of the Fund.
Name, Address, and Age |
Position(s) |
Officer Since |
Principal | |||||
*Jamie Skinner (51) Martin Currie Investment Management Limited Saltire Court 20 Castle Terrace Edinburgh, EH12ES Scotland |
President | 2010 | Director, Head of Client Services, Martin Currie Investment Management Limited (October 2004-present); President, The China Fund, Inc. (2009-2012); President, Martin Currie Business Trust (2010-present). | |||||
Richard F. Cook, Jr. (61) Foreside Compliance Services, LLC Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101 |
Chief Compliance Officer |
2007 | Director of Foreside Compliance Services, LLC (January 2006-present); Chief Compliance Officer, Guinness Atkinson Funds (November 2005-2012); Chief Compliance Officer, Nomura Partners Funds, Inc. (April 2007-present); Managing Member of Northlake, LLC (2002-present). | |||||
Tracie A. Coop (36) State Street Bank and 4 Copley Place, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02116 |
Secretary | 2010 | Vice President and Senior Counsel, State Street Bank and Trust Company (2007-present). | |||||
Cynthia Morse-Griffin (37) Foreside Management Three Canal Plaza, Suite 100 Portland, ME 04101 |
Treasurer | 2010 | Fund Principal Financial Officer, Foreside Management Services, LLC (2008-present); Assistant Vice President, Citigroup Fund Services, LLC (2001-2008). |
* | Officer is considered to be an interested person (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund or of the Adviser. |
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Fund Administration
State Street Bank and Trust Company acts as Administrator to the Fund pursuant to an Administration Agreement between the Administrator and the Fund. The principal business address of the Administrator is State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
Audit Committee Report
The Audit Committee has reviewed and discussed the Funds audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 with management, the Adviser and Tait, Weller & Baker LLP, the Funds independent registered public accounting firm (Tait Weller), and has discussed with Tait Weller the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 114 (The Auditors Communications with Those Charged with Governance, AU Section 380), as may be modified or supplemented. The Audit Committee has received the written disclosures and letter from Tait Weller required by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Rule 3526 (Ethics and Independence Rule 3526, Communications with Audit Committees Concerning Independence), as may be modified or supplemented, and has discussed with Tait Weller its independence. Based on the Audit Committee review and discussions referred to in the two preceding sentences, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the audited financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2012 be included in its annual report to stockholders and the Funds annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
M. Christopher Canavan, Jr., Chairman of the Audit Committee
Joe O. Rogers, Member of the Audit Committee
Anthony Kai Yiu Lo, Member of the Audit Committee
Michael F. Holland, Member of the Audit Committee
Bing Shen, Member of the Audit Committee
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Tait Weller serves as the Funds independent registered public accounting firm, auditing and reporting on the annual financial statements of the Fund and reviewing certain regulatory reports and the Funds federal income tax returns. Tait Weller also performs other professional audit and certain allowable non-audit services, including tax services, when the Fund engages it to do so. Representatives of Tait Weller are expected to be available via telephone at the Meeting and will have an opportunity to make a statement if they desire. Such representatives are expected to be available to respond to appropriate questions at the Meeting.
Audit Fees. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011, Tait Weller billed the Fund aggregate fees of US$52,000 and US$57,700, respectively, for professional services rendered for the audit of the Funds annual financial statements and review of financial statements included in the Funds annual report to stockholders.
Audit-Related Fees. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011, Tait Weller billed the Fund aggregate fees of US$6,800 and US$6,800, respectively, for assurances and related services that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the Funds financial statements and are not reported under the section Audit Fees above. Audit-Related Fees represent procedures applied to the semi-annual financial statement amounts (reading the semi-annual report and valuation and existence procedures on investments) as requested by the Funds audit committee.
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Tax Fees. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011, Tait Weller billed the Fund aggregate fees of US$13,200 and US$13,200, respectively, for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning. The nature of the services comprising the Tax Fees was the review of the Funds income tax returns and tax distribution requirements.
All Other Fees. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011, Tait Weller did not bill the Fund any fees for products and services other than those disclosed above.
The Funds Audit Committee Charter requires that the Audit Committee pre-approve all audit and non-audit services to be provided to the Fund by the Funds independent registered public accounting firm; provided, however, that the pre-approval requirement with respect to non-auditing services to the Fund may be waived consistent with the exceptions provided for in the Exchange Act. All of the audit and tax services described above for which Tait Weller billed the Fund fees for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011 were pre-approved by the Audit Committee. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011, the Funds Audit Committee did not waive the pre-approval requirement of any non-audit services to be provided to the Fund by Tait Weller.
Tait Weller did not bill any non-audit fees for services rendered to the Funds Adviser, or any entity controlling, controlled by, or under the common control with the Adviser that provides ongoing services to the Fund, for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2012 and August 31, 2011.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
Set forth below is information with respect to persons who, to the knowledge of the management of the Fund, owned beneficially more than 5% of the Funds outstanding shares as of March 1, 2013.
Title Of Class |
Name and Address of |
Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership |
Percent of Class |
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Common Stock |
CEDE & CO FAST C/O Depository Trust Company P.O. Box 20 New York, New York 10004-9998 |
8,497,356 | 99.54 | % |
The shares held by Cede & Co. include the accounts set forth below. This information is based on publicly available information such are Schedule 13D and 13G disclosures filed with the SEC or other similar regulatory filings from foreign jurisdictions.
Title Of Class |
Name and Address of |
Amount and Nature of |
Percent of Class |
|||||
Common Stock |
City of London 77 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V OAS England |
Has shared power to vote and dispose of 2,148,321 shares | 24.6 | % | ||||
Common Stock |
Lazard Asset Management LLC 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York 10112 |
Has sole power to vote and dispose of 1,890,217 shares | 20.35 | % |
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Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires that the Funds officers and directors, and beneficial owners of more than 10% of any class of equity security registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, make certain filings on a timely basis under Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act. Based solely on a review of copies of such reports of ownership furnished to the Fund, the Fund believes that during the past fiscal year all of its officers, directors and greater than 10% beneficial holders complied with all applicable filing requirements.
Miscellaneous
Proxies will be solicited by mail and may be solicited in person or by telephone or facsimile or other electronic means, by officers of the Fund or personnel of the Adviser. The Fund has retained AST Fund Solutions LLC to assist in the proxy solicitation. The total cost of proxy solicitation services, including legal and printing fees, is estimated at $25,000, plus out-of-pocket expenses. The expenses connected with the solicitation of these proxies and with any further proxies which may be solicited by the Funds officers or agents in person, by telephone or by facsimile or other electronic means will be borne by the Fund. The Fund will reimburse banks, brokers, and other persons holding the Funds 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.
In the event that sufficient votes in favor of the proposals set forth in the Notice of this Meeting are not received by April 23, 2013, the persons named as attorneys in the enclosed proxy may propose one or more adjournments of the Meeting to permit further solicitation of proxies. Any such adjournment will require the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares 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 those proxies which they are entitled to vote in favor of the proposal for which further solicitation of proxies is to be made. They will vote against any such adjournment those proxies required to be voted against such proposal. The costs of any such additional solicitation and of any adjourned session will be borne by the Fund.
No business other than as set forth herein is expected to come before the Meeting, but should any other matter requiring a vote of stockholders arise, the persons named in the enclosed proxy will vote thereon according to their best judgment in the interests of the Fund.
Stockholder Proposals
In order to submit a stockholder proposal to be considered for inclusion in the Funds proxy statement for the Funds 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, stockholder proposals must be received by the Fund (addressed to The Taiwan Fund Inc., c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company, P.O. Box 5049, 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02206-5049) not later than November 8, 2013. Any stockholder who desires to bring a proposal at the Funds 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders without including such proposal in the Funds proxy statement, must deliver written notice thereof to the Secretary of the Fund (addressed to The Taiwan Fund, Inc., c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company, P.O. Box 5049, 2 Avenue
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de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02206-5049), not before December 8, 2013 and not later than January 7, 2014.
By order of the Board of Directors,
TRACIE A. COOP
Secretary
c/o State Street Bank and Trust Company
P.O. Box 5049
2 Avenue de Lafayette,
Boston, Massachusetts 02206-5049
March 8, 2013
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EVERY STOCKHOLDERS VOTE IS IMPORTANT
EASY VOTING OPTIONS: | ||||
VOTE ON THE INTERNET Log on to: www.proxy-direct.com or scan the QR code Follow the on-screen instructions available 24 hours | ||||
VOTE BY PHONE Call 1-800-337-3503 Follow the recorded instructions available 24 hours | ||||
VOTE BY MAIL Vote, sign and date this Proxy Card and return in the postage-paid envelope | ||||
VOTE IN PERSON Attend Stockholder Meeting 31 West 52nd Street New York, NY 10019 on April 23, 2013 |
Please detach at perforation before mailing.
PROXY | THE TAIWAN FUND, INC. ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON APRIL 23, 2013 |
PROXY |
THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The undersigned hereby appoints Joe O. Rogers and Tracie A. Coop, and each of them, the proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution to each of them, to vote all shares of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. which the undersigned is entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. to be held at the offices of Clifford Chance US LLP, 31 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019, on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 10:30 a.m., local time, and at any adjournments thereof, unless otherwise specified in the boxes provided on the reverse side hereof, for the election of the directors named on the reverse side and, in their discretion, on any other business which may properly come before the meeting or any adjournments thereof. The undersigned hereby revokes all proxies with respect to such shares heretofore given. The undersigned acknowledges receipt of the Proxy Statement dated March 8, 2013.
This proxy, when properly executed, will be voted in the manner directed herein and, absent direction will be voted FOR the election of the named directors.
VOTE VIA THE INTERNET: www.proxy-direct.com VOTE VIA TELEPHONE: 1-800-337-3503 | ||||
Note: Please sign exactly as your name(s) appear(s) on this proxy card, and date it. When shares are held jointly, each holder should sign. When signing in a representative capacity, please give title. | ||||
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Signature and Title, if applicable | ||||
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Signature (if held jointly) | ||||
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Date | TTF_24433_030713 |
THIS PROXY CARD IS VALID ONLY WHEN SIGNED AND DATED ABOVE.
EVERY STOCKHOLDERS VOTE IS IMPORTANT
Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the
Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be Held on April 23, 2013.
The Proxy Statement and Proxy Card for this meeting are available at: https://www.proxy-direct.com/tai-24433
IF YOU VOTE ON THE INTERNET OR BY TELEPHONE,
YOU NEED NOT RETURN THIS PROXY CARD
Please detach at perforation before mailing.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT YOU VOTE FOR ALL THE NOMINEES LISTED.
PLEASE MARK BOXES BELOW IN BLUE OR BLACK INK AS FOLLOWS. Example: ¢
1. | Election of Directors: | FOR ALL |
WITHHOLD ALL |
FOR ALL EXCEPT | ||||||||
01. Michael F. Holland* | 02. Joe O. Rogers* | 03. Bing Shen* | ¨ | ¨ | ¨ | |||||||
04. M. Christopher Canavan, Jr.* | 05. Anthony Kai Yiu Lo* | 06. William C. Kirby* | ||||||||||
* Each to serve as a director of The Taiwan Fund, Inc. for the next year or until his successor is elected and qualified. |
INSTRUCTIONS: To withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee(s), mark the box FOR ALL EXCEPT and write the nominees number on the line provided below. | ||
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2. | To vote and otherwise represent the undersigned on any other matters that may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof, in the discretion of the proxy holder(s). |
PLEASE SIGN AND DATE ON THE REVERSE SIDE
TTF_24433_030713