("China Shoto" or "the Group")

 

 

 

 

China Shoto (AIM:CHNS), a leading Chinese producer of industrial batteries and power supply systems, today announces that Zhou Weigang and Zhou Ping have been appointed to the Board as executive Directors and that Peter Crystal has been appointed as Non-Executive Director with effect from 12 July 2007.

 

Zhou Weigang, 45, has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer.  He is an accountant and economist with more than 26 years¡¯ experience in senior finance roles for Chinese industrial companies. He has served China Shoto for nearly ten years, most recently as the Group¡¯s financial controller for four years.  He was part of the team which assisted in the listing of China Shoto on the AIM market in December 2005.

 

Zhou Ping, 34, has been appointed as Chief Marketing Officer.  He is an economist with 14 years¡¯ experience in the battery and industrial power supply sector, twelve of which has been with China Shoto plc (Jiangsu Shuangdeng Group). Prior to his new appointment he was the Group¡¯s Vice General Manager of Marketing for nearly four years, a period in which China Shoto extended its market penetration in the power-type battery business, further developed its market in turbine technology, and expanded its manufacturing facility.

 

Peter Crystal, LLM, 59, has been appointed as a non-executive director.  Peter has over 30 years¡¯ experience advising companies and their Directors whose shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and AIM.  As a Founder and Senior Partner of law firm Memery Crystal, he specialises in regulatory and other matters relating to listed companies such as advising on flotations, takeovers, mergers and all corporate finance activity.  Peter is an Oxford graduate, a former Law Society Examiner and is a regular speaker on corporate finance, sports law and other issues.

 

Cao Guifa, Chairman of China Shoto plc, said: "We are extremely pleased to announce this triple appointment of directors and China Shoto welcomes them all to our Board.  Their combined business acumen and overall experience will be instrumental in furthering the Group¡¯s growth going forward."

 

The Company also announces that as of 12 July David Thomas has stepped down as a non-executive Director and as a Director of the Company.  China Shoto would like to thank David for his contribution over the last two years and wishes him well for the future.

 

Peter Maurice Crystal is and has been a director of the following companies and organisations during the past five years:

 

 

There are no further details that are required to be disclosed pursuant to paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules for Companies.