"Not Canadian" Solar
Meet Canadian Solar
Canadian Solar's first lie is in its name: "Canadian"
Although the company and it's founder go to great troubles to hide this fact in the Americas, a quick search of literature from home shows this to be a proud Chinese Company.
U.s. Securities and Exchange Commission - Filing Admissions
NASDAQ IPO
"Our principal executive offices are located at Xin Zhuang Industry Park, Changshu, Suzhou, Jiangsu, 215562, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is (86-512) 6269-6010 and our fax number is (86-512) 5247-7589. Our mailing address in Canada is located at The Exchange Tower, Suite 1600, P.O. Box 480, 130 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario MSX 1J5"
2023 SEC Annual Report
"We are exposed to legal and operational risks associated with having a significant portion of our manufacturing operations in China. We are subject to risks arising from the PRC legal system, including the uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of the evolving PRC policies, laws and regulations. Recently, the Chinese government initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, such as those related to regulatory approvals on offerings conducted overseas, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy.
Such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors. Implementation of industry-wide regulations in this nature may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Related to Doing Business in China” for additional information of the risks associated with our operations in China. For example, the recently promulgated PRC Data Security Law and the PRC Personal Information Protection Law in 2021, the Cybersecurity Review Measures issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, and several other PRC governmental authorities in 2021, as well as the Regulations on Critical Information Infrastructure promulgated by the PRC State Council in 2021, expose uncertainties and potential additional restrictions on China-based overseas-listed companies. Although we have not been informed that we are identified as a critical information infrastructure operator by any governmental authorities, we face uncertainties as to whether we will be subject to the oversight of the CAC and how such oversight may impact us."
Founder and Chairman Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu
Shawn (Xiaohua) Qu is the founder, chairman, president and CEO of Canadian Solar. He was born in Beijing in 1964, and educated at Tsinghua University before receiving permission to leave China to study in Toronto Canada in 1987.
Qu goes through great lengths in American media to portray himself as a Canadian citizen, and his company as an wholly Canadian entity, but in Chinese media, he does anything but that.
A "Returnee"
Thousand Talents Program
Thousand Talents Program
"In 2001, I returned to China to found Canadian Solar, which was listed on the NASDAQ in the United States in 2006.
For 24 years, I have been committed to the photovoltaic industry and witnessed and experienced the great development of China's photovoltaic new energy industry.
In the future, Canadian Solar will continue to work hand in hand with colleagues in the photovoltaic new energy industry, strive to realize the 'Chinese Dream' of photovoltaic people, and continuously inject new momentum into the development of my country's energy industry!'"
Thousand Talents Program
Thousand Talents Program
Thousand Talents Program
What's more, Qu is also reportedly a member of "the first batch of specifically-appointed experts in the National 'Thousand Talents Program,'" China's controversial talent recruitment plan that the FBI warns "encourage[s] trade secret theft, economic espionage."
CCP HOnored CitiZeen
Thousand Talents Program
CCP HOnored CitiZeen
In November 2023, Qu was honored as "Yancheng City's Outstanding Private Entrepreneur" by the Secretary of the Yancheng Municipal Party Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, Chairman of the Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee, and Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department.
Leadership
Director Lap Tat Arthur Wong
Independent director Harry ruda
Independent director Harry ruda
Canadian Solar director, Lap Tat Arthur Wong, also chairs the audit committee for Daqo New Energy Corp, a Xinjiang based subsidiary of Daqo which was sanctioned by the US Commerce Department over forced labor and genocide allegations.
Independent director Harry ruda
Independent director Harry ruda
Independent director Harry ruda
Dr. Harry E. Ruda has served as an independent director of Canadian Solar since July 2011. He also serves on the international advisory board of the National University of Science and Technology in Moscow.
Canadian Solar - Differences in American and Asian Press
pr newswire America
pr newswire America
pr newswire America
"Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world's largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery energy storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development... Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. "
PR Newswire Asia
pr newswire America
pr newswire America
"In the body of overseas Chinese, the blood of the descendants of Yan and Huang flows. He integrated Canadian technology and US Nasdaq funds and made a lightning-fast contribution to the development of Suzhou, China.'
In 2001, Qu Xiaohua returned to China to start a business, and successively founded six companies, including Canadian Solar Electronics Co., Ltd., Canadian Solar Technology Co., Ltd., and Suzhou Canadian Solar Power Technology Co., Ltd... In November 2006, CSI Canadian Solar was listed on the NASDAQ in the United States, becoming the first domestic [Chinese] company in the field of solar photovoltaics to be listed on the NASDAQ in the United States."