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

Lin Jianhai, secretary of IMF, comes from Yueqing, a county-level city in Zhejiang province. [Photo/Zheshang Magazine]

Lin Jianhai, a native of Yueqing, Zhejiang province, is the first secretary of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from China.

Lin's schooling went through a run of struggle. After graduating from middle school, his study was interrupted and he had to farm for his family. One and a half years later, he received the only opportunity in the village for studying at high school at the cost of his sister giving up the opportunity of being a teacher.

Lin cherished the hard-won opportunity and worked extremely hard. He was later enrolled at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing and embarked on the journey of higher education. Lin got a doctor's degree in the United States and then joined IMF.

From an ordinary economist to the secretary of the international organization, Lin owed the successful promotion to his insistence in hard work. "Play less, sleep less, think more, observe more and ask more," Lin explained.

Over the past three decades at IMF, Lin witnessed the changes of the global economy and the rise of Chinese economy. "China is my motherland and as a Chinese person active on the world stage, I feel proud of the progresses the country has made," said the official.

"The reform and opening-up policy helped China achieve today's success and also benefitted the whole world," Lin remarked.

For the development of Zhejiang, Lin suggested the importance of keeping lasting vitality and leading role in technologies and innovative work.  "The province should strengthen the collection, research and exchanges of economic information," he said, adding that the new advanced internet technologies should be better used to promote the efficiency of telling Zhejiang stories.