Li Jiading (center), an entrepreneur from Jinhua's Pujiang county, stands in a group photo with African people. [Photo/jinhua.com.cn]

Li Jiading is an entrepreneur from Pujiang county, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, and has spent decades building bridges between China and Africa.

Li's journey began in the 1980s when he founded a sportswear factory in Pujiang, marking him one of the first private entrepreneurs in the region after China's reform and opening-up.

In 1998, Li seized the opportunity to expand overseas when China liberalized its import and export policies. With the help of a trading company, he ventured to South Africa, where he faced language barriers but persevered by teaching himself English.

His commitment to quality and integrity quickly expanded his business from Johannesburg to Durban and Cape Town, and later into real estate in Angola.

As the number of overseas Chinese from Zhejiang grew in South Africa, Li decided to build a "home" for his compatriots. In 2007, after being elected as president of the Zhejiang General Chamber of Commerce in Southern Africa, he led efforts to purchase over 300 square meters of land in Johannesburg, culminating in the completion of the Zhejiang Hall in 2011.

Li's dedication to fostering China-Africa ties is unwavering. "I'm like a bond, taking China's strengths out and bringing Africa's advantages in," he said.

He has organized African delegations to visit Zhejiang. In 2023, he helped organize the Jinhua Overseas Chinese Businessmen "Belt and Road" Tour in Africa to explore markets in Egypt and Tanzania. In July 2024, he discussed deepening provincial cooperation with South Africa's Eastern Cape government to support the development of Zhejiang's private economy in Africa.

Even at 75, Li never stops. His relentless passion and contributions are sowing hope for future exchanges between China and Africa.