PingPong's exclusive response to Caijing.com.cn stated that the recent penalty imposed by the central bank was aimed at some non-compliant items in the domestic payment business of China Aerospace Times Electronics in 2019 before it was acquired and the then head of operations, which has nothing to do with PingPong's operations. After the 2021 acquisition was completed, PingPong began team restructuring, closed its original operations, and completed all restructuring in 2022.
Caixin.com.cn, June 6 (Reporter Cao Yunyi) The central bank's headquarters recently issued a huge fine, warning and confiscation of about 44.2162 million yuan in total against PingPong's payment company Zhejiang Aerospace Times Electronic Information Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as " Aerospace Electronics ") was fined, at the same time.
PingPong exclusively responded to Caijing.com.cn, stating that the penalty was aimed at some non-compliant items in the domestic payment business conducted by Zhejiang Aerospace Times Electronics in 2019 before it was acquired and the then head of operations, and has nothing to do with PingPong's business. After the 2021 acquisition was completed, PingPong immediately appointed a new management team, completely closed its original business, and strengthened its compliance and technology capabilities. All restructuring was completed in 2022.
According to the announcement issued by the central bank, there were a total of 8 types of illegal activities by Aerospace Electronics, involving violations of institutional management regulations, merchant management regulations, clearing management regulations, account management regulations, etc. In terms of customer transactions, there were violations of obligations to identify customer identities, failure to keep customer identity information and transaction records as required, failure to submit suspicious transaction reports as required, and there were also illegal activities such as transactions with customers of unknown identities or opening anonymous or pseudonymous accounts for customers.
Mou Moyan, then assistant general manager of Aerospace Electronics, was fined RMB 115,000, and Zhang Mouquan, director of the company's business department, was fined RMB 300,000 with a warning.
"The penalty is aimed at some non-compliant items in the domestic payment business conducted by Zhejiang Aerospace Times Electronics in 2019 before it was acquired. After the 2021 acquisition was completed, PingPong immediately appointed a new management team, completely closed its original business, strengthened its compliance and technology capabilities, and completed all restructuring in 2022."
PingPong responded to Caijing.com.cn that it has transformed itself into a secure and compliant payment company focusing on new foreign trade formats such as cross-border e-commerce. In the same year, Zhejiang Aerospace Times Electronics successfully accomplished the renewal of the Payment Business License, with a valid period from June 27, 2022 to June 26, 2027.
PingPong stated that the company adheres to compliant operation and there are no compliance issues as rumored by the outside world. All operations are currently normal. The company will continue to invest in and further enhance the compliance governance and technology capabilities of Zhejiang Aerospace Times Electronics.
According to industry insiders, judging from Aerospace Electronics' illegal activities, they were multiple violations that had been penalized by the central bank many times. The last type of illegal activity, "transactions with customers of unknown identities or opening anonymous or pseudonymous accounts for customers," often results in higher fines.
According to the clear provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Law, financial institutions shall establish a customer identification system in accordance with regulations, shall not provide services to customers with unknown identities or conduct transactions with them, shall not open anonymous or pseudonymous accounts for customers.