Hangzhou-based Geely is a rising star in the automobile world and grew from humble origins. Li founded Geely in 1986 as a refrigerator maker, using money he had borrowed from his family. The company moved toward the mid-1990s when it started manufacturing motorcycles.

In 1998, it began small van production, and in 2002, began car production. Its success in carmaking led to it being publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2004.

Geely's international expansion was perhaps helped by the financial crisis in 2008, which prompted the United States company Ford to consider selling struggling Volvo. Two years later, Geely's acquisition of Volvo was complete.

The company's UK expansion was a different story, with the London Taxi Co reaching out to China for a partner in 2006. The taxi company was founded in 1899 as Manganese Bronze. In 2005, the Birmingham-based car manufacturer MG Rover went into administration, creating a major problem for Manganese Bronze because it relied heavily on MG Rover components.

Luckily, Manganese Bronze found Geely and very quickly established a joint venture to create a factory in Shanghai to manufacture its TX4 taxis. The success of the joint venture eventually led to Geely buying Manganese Bronze in 2013, when the company went into administration. Geely then renamed the enterprise the London Taxi Co.

According to the company, the black cabs account for 84 percent of London's taxis. Other players, including Nissan and Mercedes, manufacture taxis, but their inability to use the black cabs' exterior design is one key element holding back their popularity.

"The London Taxi Company significantly lacked investment before the Geely takeover, despite its iconic brand. Geely's investment since the takeover led to the launch of a new Euro 6 diesel taxi," says Wil Barber, a spokesman for London Taxi Co.