A grand gathering to mark the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up was held in Beijing on Dec 18. 100 Chinese nationals, including seven recommended by Zhejiang government, were awarded for their contributions over the past four decades.

Jack Ma (1964 - ), founder and chairman of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group

Ma is a pioneer in developing China's digital economy. He's now promoting the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) initiative, an international cooperation mechanism with an objective of reducing barriers and making it more convenient for small and medium-sized enterprises to expand their trading capabilities worldwide.

Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba, speaks at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Indonesia on Oct 12, 2018. [Photo/VCG]