Related Party Transaction
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Related Party Transaction [Abstract]  
Related Party Transaction
17.   RELATED PARTY TRANSACTION

The principal related parties with which the Group had transactions during the years presented are as follows:

 

Name of Related parties

  

Relationship with the Group

Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co. Ltd    Non-controlling shareholder of Visiondigi
Individual Shareholders of Visiondigi    Non-controlling shareholders of Visiondigi
Tianjin SAMC    Non-controlling shareholder of Vimicro Tianjin
Vimicro Wuxi    5% equity investee of the Company
VMF Consulting Company    Owned by certain executives of the Company
Vimicro Qingdao    18% direct equity investee of the Company

(a) The Group had the following related party transactions:

(1) In December 2010, the Company disposed of 95% of equity interest in Vimicro Wuxi to VMF Consulting Company, a related party. As a result, as at December 31, 2011, the Company owned 5% of Vimicro Wuxi after it finished the registration of change of ownership at the end of 2010. The purpose of the transfer is to focus on the new growing surveillance business by divesting the Non-core IC Business and land use rights.

Under the terms of the arrangement, VMF Consulting Company paid Vimicro China for cash consideration of $1.7 million and received $0.3 million from Vimicro China for services in connection with the disposal of equity interest in 2011.

(2) The non-controlling shareholders of Visiondigi extended a loan of RMB1,760 ($266) to Visiondigi in 2010 that was non-interest bearing. The loan balance was RMB963 ($145) as of December 31, 2010 and was fully repaid by December 31, 2011.

(3) The Group also had related party transactions for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 summarized in below table.

 

     Years Ended December 31  
     2009      2010      2011  

Sales of goods:

        

Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co. Ltd

     —           329         72   

Vimicro Qingdao

     —           —           4,193   

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           2,589         —     

Purchase of inventories:

        

Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co. Ltd.

     —           391         63   

Technical Service fee rendered:

        

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           175         —     

Technical Service fee received:

        

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           —           175   

Loan from related parties:

        

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           11,325         —     

Repayment of loan from related parties:

        

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           6,795         —     

Proceeds from sale of equity interest in discontinued operation

        

VMF Consulting

     —           —           1,734   

Proceeds from disposal of assets in discontinued operation

        

Vimicro Wuxi

     —           —           4,955   

 

(b) The Group had the following related party balances as of December 31, 2010 and 2011:

 

     As of December 31  
     2010      2011  

Amounts due from related parties:

     

Vimicro Qingdao

     —           4,257   

VMF Consulting Company

     1,651         —     

Vimicro Wuxi

     8,751         477   

Tianjin SAMC

     59         97   

Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co. Ltd

     2         —     

Individual shareholders of Visiondigi

     2         —     
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     10,465         4,831   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Amounts due to related parties:

     

Vimicro Wuxi

     4,532         676   

Individual shareholders of Visiondigi

     145         —     

Ningbo Sunny Opotech Co. Ltd

     171         287   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     4,848         963