What is a "proxy statement" as in?

Question

Bigfoot Ventures, a firm based in the British Virgin Islands, held 4.75 million Sina shares, or a 8.9% stake, as of May 10, 2006, according to a proxy statement from Sina filed with the SEC.

Answer 1

Every year a company has to have an annual general meeting of the shareholders.
or at least the voting shareholders if there are voting and non voting shares.
At this meeting, the directors are elected, an auditor is appointed and any business on the notice of annual general meeting sent to shareholders.

Voting shareholders at the meeting can vote on all items of the agenda.
All voting shareholders , IF THEY WANT. CAN VOTE BY PROXY, and not attend the meeting.

they fill out an official proxy form ahead of time, indicate their voting preferences and appoint someone who will be at the meeting to vote their shares (usually a Director). So in your example Big Foot Ventures was Voting by Proxy 4.75 Million Votes.

The proxy statement is the record of the vote, Those shares Present, and Those Shares voted by Proxy, gives a total amount voted, out of all the shares that had been issued.