UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of March 2025

Commission File Number: 000-51469

 

 

BAIDU, INC.

 

 

Baidu Campus

No. 10 Shangdi 10th Street

Haidian District, Beijing 100085

The People’s Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F ☒    Form 40-F ☐

 

 

 


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description

99.1    Press Release—Baidu Announces Completion of US$2 Billion Offering of Zero Coupon Exchangeable Bonds
99.2    Press Release—Baidu Announces Completion of CNY10 Billion Offering of CNY-denominated Senior Notes
99.3    Announcement—Notice of Listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

BAIDU, INC.
By:  

/s/ Junjie He

Name:   Junjie He
Title:   Interim Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 12, 2025

Exhibit 99.1

Baidu Announces Completion of US$2 Billion Offering of Zero Coupon Exchangeable Bonds

BEIJING, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)), (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced the completion of its US$2 billion in aggregate principal amount of exchangeable bonds due 2032 (the “Bonds”). The Bonds were sold in offshore transactions outside the United States to certain non-U.S. persons (the “Bonds Offering”) in reliance on Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

The Bonds will not bear regular interest, and the principal amount of the Bonds will not accrete. The Bonds will mature on March 12, 2032, unless repurchased, redeemed, or exchanged in accordance with their terms prior to such date. Holders of the Bonds may not exchange their Bonds prior to the first anniversary of the issue date of the Bonds. If an event of default has occurred and is continuing, holders of the Bonds may exchange the Bonds at any time. Between the first anniversary of the issue date and the date falling 6 months prior to the maturity date of the Bonds, holders of the Bonds may exchange the Bonds into cash only upon the satisfaction of certain contingencies. Thereafter and until the second scheduled trading day preceding the maturity date, holders may exchange the Bonds into cash at any time. Subject to certain conditions, the Company may elect to deliver ordinary shares of Trip.com Group Limited that are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) (HKEX: 9961) (“Trip.com Shares”) held by the Company in lieu of cash or a combination of cash and Trip.com Shares.

The initial exchange ratio of the Bonds will be 1,107.0457 Trip.com Shares per US$100,000 principal amount of Bonds (which is equivalent to an initial exchange price of approximately HK$702.13 per Trip.com Share and represents an approximately 43% exchange premium over the per-share price in the delta placement, which was HK$491.00 per Trip.com Share).

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Bonds Offering for repayment of certain existing indebtedness, payment of interest and general corporate purposes.

The Bonds have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. They may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Trip.com Shares currently held by the Company are “restricted securities” (within the meaning of Rule 144 under the Securities Act). Any Trip.com Shares that the Company may elect to deliver upon exchange of the Bonds shall be freely transferable for the purposes of the Securities Act.

The Company has received approval for listing from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the Bonds have commenced trading on the Open Market segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.


This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities, in the United States or elsewhere, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on Nasdaq under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888”. One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Baidu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in announcements made on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Baidu’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Baidu’s growth strategies; its future business development, including development of new products and services; its ability to attract and retain users and customers; competition in the Chinese Internet search and newsfeed market; competition for online marketing customers; changes in the Company’s revenues and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of its revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration, including those relating to intellectual property rights; the expected growth of the Chinese-language Internet search and newsfeed market and the number of Internet and broadband users in China; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Internet and Internet search providers, and general economic conditions in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Baidu does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this announcement and in the attachments is as of the date of the announcement, and Baidu undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

Investors Relations, Baidu, Inc.

Tel: +86-10-5992-8888

Email: ir@baidu.com

Exhibit 99.2

Baidu Announces Completion of CNY10 Billion Offering of CNY-denominated Senior Notes

BEIJING, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888 (HKD Counter) and 89888 (RMB Counter)), (“Baidu” or the “Company”), a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, today announced the completion of its offering of CNY10 billion aggregate principal amount of CNY-denominated senior unsecured notes (the “Notes”). The Notes were sold in offshore transactions outside the United States to certain non-U.S. persons (the “Notes Offering”) in reliance on Regulation S under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

The Notes Offering consists of CNY7.5 billion of 2.70% notes due 2030 and CNY2.5 billion of 3.00% notes due 2035.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes Offering for general corporate purposes, including repayment of certain existing indebtedness, payment of interest and general corporate purposes.

The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws. They may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefits of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

The listing of and permission to deal in the Notes on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (the “Hong Kong Stock Exchange”) is expected to become effective on March 13, 2025.

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities, in the United States or elsewhere, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation, trading on Nasdaq under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888”. One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.


Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Baidu may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), in announcements made on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Baidu’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Baidu’s growth strategies; its future business development, including development of new products and services; its ability to attract and retain users and customers; competition in the Chinese Internet search and newsfeed market; competition for online marketing customers; changes in the Company’s revenues and certain cost or expense items as a percentage of its revenues; the outcome of ongoing, or any future, litigation or arbitration, including those relating to intellectual property rights; the expected growth of the Chinese-language Internet search and newsfeed market and the number of Internet and broadband users in China; Chinese governmental policies relating to the Internet and Internet search providers, and general economic conditions in China and elsewhere. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F and other documents filed with the SEC, and announcements on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Baidu does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. All information provided in this announcement is as of the date of the announcement, and Baidu undertakes no duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

SOURCE Baidu, Inc.

Investors Relations, Baidu, Inc.

Tel: +86-10-5992-8888

Email: ir@baidu.com

Exhibit 99.3

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.

Under our weighted voting rights structure, our share capital comprises Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Each Class A ordinary share entitles the holder to exercise one vote, and each Class B ordinary share entitles the holder to exercise 10 votes, respectively, on all matters subject to the vote at general meetings of the Company. Shareholders and prospective investors should be aware of the potential risks of investing in a company with a weighted voting rights structure. Our American depositary shares, each representing eight of our Class A ordinary shares, are listed on Nasdaq in the United States under the symbol BIDU.

This announcement is for information purposes only and is not an invitation or offer to sell or acquire or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such invitation, offer, acquisition, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

NOTICE OF LISTING ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE OF HONG KONG LIMITED

CNY7,500,000,000 2.70% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2030

(Debt Stock Code: 85012)

AND

CNY2,500,000,000 3.00% SENIOR NOTES DUE 2035

(Debt Stock Code: 85013)

(collectively, the “Notes”)

 

LOGO

(A company controlled through weighted voting rights and incorporated in the Cayman Islands with limited liability)

(Stock Codes: 9888 (HKD counter) and 89888 (RMB counter))

 

1


Application has been made to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited for the listing of, and permission to deal in, the Notes by way of debt issues to professional investors (as defined in Chapter 37 of the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited) only, as described in the offering memorandum relating thereto dated March 5, 2025. The listing of and permission to deal in the Notes is expected to become effective on March 13, 2025.

 

     

By order of the Board

Baidu, Inc.

Mr. Robin Yanhong Li

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Hong Kong, March 12, 2025

As at the date of this announcement, the board of directors of the Company comprises Mr. Robin Yanhong Li as director, and Mr. James Ding, Mr. Yuanqing Yang, Mr. Jixun Foo, Ms. Sandy Ran Xu and Ms. Xiaodan Liu as independent directors.

 

2


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