"Core technology can't be bought. The more you use others' technology, the more reliant you become. We have to innovate on our own. The journey will be tough but the prospects are promising," Shufu Li, a deputy to the National People's Congress, also the founder and chairman of the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, said during the interview ahead of the 13th National Committee of the National People’s Conference (NPC).

During the interview, Mr. Li shared his proposals to the NPC and plans to push forward technological innovation as a result of ongoing productivity improvements, faster upgrade in technology, and the force of global competition.

Indeed, his proposals are concerned with automobiles. As a key figure in Chinese automobile industry, he has a say in this matter.

“The first one is to popularize the methanol fuel,” said Mr. Li, showing awareness for the responsibility towards society and the environment. “Used as fuel, methanol is a clear and efficient source, and once popularized, the environmental harm brought by car exhausts are bound to reduce.”

His other proposal is to regulate the car modification market. The automobile modification has become an important part of the car industry chain. However, compared to western countries, the car modification market is still at the budding state, but of great potential, according to Mr. Li.

While analyzing the challenges posed by fierce global competition, he emphasized the key solution of innovation. “Entrepreneurs should give up on the fantasies of buying the core innovative techniques; instead, we should improve our own innovation capabilities to face the dynamic changes in car industries. Geely is at a starting point to grow into a transnational company both rooted in China and facing the world. I sincerely hope to see a blueprint where Chinese companies can reach the equilibrium between the domestic and international market.”

Another solution is cooperation. He told the press that instead of fighting single-handedly, cooperation with other competitors can help to enhance the technological strength. So far, Geely has made achievements of developing the transport structure to better adapt to the transport technological development in collaboration with Daimler to build up a partnership in high-end special car services, and the research and development of 5G and V2X technologies by cooperating with Tencent, China Railway Investment Co., Ltd., China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation ( CASIC ) and China Telecommunications.

Li also gives his observation of the latest technological trend and its impact upon car industry. “Disruptive technology will continue to emerge. With the calculating capabilities of AI chips drastically developing, the transport will no longer only serve as a conveyance in the future, but become a combination of calculation, storage, and an integrated mobile terminal both online and offline. This has made the importance of voice and human-computer interaction exceeds exterior and functions.”

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Sometimes Shufu Li is compared to US auto icon Henry Ford. Mr. Li’s success does not happen overnight. “When I was in primary school in a rural village, I herded cattle for the production team to earn 0.15 yuan a day. I could earn 6 to 10 yuan a summer vacation, which was a big money for me because tuition fee was about 1.2 yuan per semester then. ”

While he was in junior high school, China’s reform and opening-up was started which initiated a series of changes around the nation: farmers were allowed to engage in township enterprises and private businesses were allowed to operate. With a dream to start his entrepreneurship, Mr. Li began to participate in the market economy.

Mr. Li founded Zhejiang Geely Holding Group in 1986, which was at the time focused on refrigerators. No factory building available, lack of electricity supply, complaints of the unavoidable noise of the industrial manufacture process from the community, being reported of accessing electricity from the village... Obstacles did not stop him. He made his refrigerator factory well known as a big machine part supplier to almost every refrigerator company. The turning point for his business was in 1993 when he moved into motorcycle manufacturing. In 1997, he entered the automobile manufacturing industry and has been devoted to the development of China's auto industry over the past two decades.

Under Mr. Li's leadership, Geely Holding Group has been committed to independent innovation and development, and achieved major breakthroughs in engine, transmission and other core technologies in the automobile industry.

Geely Automobile is the first private automobile manufacturer in China, and now it is the second largest one. With such a huge success, Li still assiduously expands his business. The deal to buy Volvo Cars from Ford Motor Company in 2010 is worth US $1.8 billion, and it was the largest foreign purchase by a Chinese car manufacturer then. In 2013, with a net worth of US$2.6 billion, Li was ranked by Hurun Report as the 63rd richest person in mainland China. In November 2018, an agreement between Geely and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. has started the building of a new line of supersonic bullet trains. Then, Financial Times announced with a 9.7% stake in the German automaker, Li has become Daimler's largest shareholder.