Editor's note: East China's Zhejiang province is renowned for its large international population. Aloft on the wings of China's reform and opening-up policy, a group of Zhejiang people have gone abroad to make a living since the 1970s. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of the policy, the Zhejiang website (www.ezhejiang.gov.cn) is launching a series of stories about overseas Chinese who are originally from Zhejiang, as well as those who are active in the province's development. Stories courtesy of Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Zheshang Magazine

Yang Baoqing, chairman of Zhejiang Topsun Group, the country's largest manufacturer and exporter of leisure products [Photo/Zheshang Magazine]

"Topsun's growth is in line with China's reform and opening-up," said Yang Baoqing, chairman of Zhejiang Topsun Group, the country's largest manufacturer and exporter of leisure products based in East China's Zhejiang province.

Born in a peasant's family, Yang was therefore a lucky man when he had the chance to go to university for higher education in the late 1980s. In 1991, he began to do business with 20,000 yuan ($2,900) borrowed from his parents.

After 27 years of development, as China's reform and opening-up measures expanded, Yang's company, Topsun, has grown into a multinational corporate with businesses established in over 20 countries and regions and the number of employees reaching nearly 7,000.

Yang said that currently, Topsun has developed thousands of kinds of leisure products such as tents and fishing gear. In 2017, the company's total sales revenue hit 13 billion yuan.

In recent years, the diversity of Topsun's business operations has been further increased with new projects in cultural creation, new materials and finance launched.

Yang attributed his success to a belief that he's always been upholding, which is remaining true to three original aspirations – realizing his own achievements and dreams, seeking common wealth for all employees and making contributions to society.

In addition to focusing on businesses, Yang always keeps a close eye on events happening in the world. In May 2008 when an earthquake struck Wenchuan of Sichuan province, Yang immediately donated 100,000 tents to the earthquake-hit area, which offered accommodation to victims of the natural disaster.

To help Zhejiang attract more talents from overseas and to provide a platform for returned Chinese to build up businesses, Yang established an innovation and startup base in Hangzhou to introduce advanced technologies, projects and professionals.