Liu Hongru  is an independent non-executive Director of the Company.

Mr Liu is a professor and holds a doctorate's degree. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Moscow in 1959 with an associate Doctorate’s degree. Mr Liu worked as Vice Governor of the Agricultural Bank of China, Vice Governor of the People's Bank of China, Deputy Director of the State Economic Restructuring Committee, and the Chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Mr Liu is currently the Deputy Director of Chinese People's Consultative Conference Economic Committee, Vice President of the China Society for Finance and Banking, Vice President of National Debt Association of China and Shanghai Institute of Finance & Law. Mr Liu is also a professor at the Peking University, the Postgraduate School of the People's Bank of China and the City University of Hong Kong. Mr Liu serves as a non-executive director of Oriental Patron Financial Investment Company and CITIC 21CN Company and an independent non-executive director of Minmetals Resources Limited. He possesses the accounting or financial management qualification required under the Listing Rules. Mr Liu was appointed as an independent Supervisor of the Company from December 1999 to November 2002. Upon his resignation from this post, he has been appointed as an independent non-executive Director of the Company.