Dr Lee Yin Yee, SBS, BBS, MH, Founder of Xinyi Family, is an accomplished industrialist, entrepreneur and a prominent philanthropist, who loves his country and Hong Kong.
Dr Lee is a shrewd, hardworking and pragmatic industrialist. With great insight and vision, he saw a major business opportunity – there were no automobile glass manufacturers in Shenzhen at one time and glass had to be imported from overseas. Thus, in 1988, he decided to set up Xinyi Glass in Shenzhen to manufacture glass.
Led by Dr Lee, and with perseverance and hard work, Xinyi Glass was able to gradually growth its business. In February 2005, Xinyi Glass was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In close to four decades, Xinyi Group has developed into a world leading integrated glass manufacturer, focusing on producing high-quality float glass, automobile glass, energy-saving architectural glass, among others. Eventually, Xinyi Glass spun off three companies for listing, namely Xinyi Solar, Xinyi Energy, and Xinyi Electric Storage. Among them, both Xinyi Glass and Xinyi Solar were included as constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index, forming the “Xinyi Corporate Empire”. Xinyi Family has become a world-leading integrated glass manufacturer and new energy sector pioneer, the world’s largest float glass manufacturer, the world’s largest photovoltaic glass manufacturer, and China’s largest private ground-mounted photovoltaic power station enterprise. The companies have total assets exceeding RMB150 billion, with more than 30,000-strong workforce, and sales network of its 13 major production bases covers more than 160 countries and regions around the world.
Dr Lee’s dream of “China producing her own glass” came true. Boasting abundant foreign auto maker resources pooled in Hong Kong, Xinyi Glass was selling its products to more than 100 countries and regions in a few short years. In 2001, it exported more than 70% of the automobile glass it produced, leading the way of Chinese brands “going global”. Xinyi was also one of the first Hong Kong companies to respond to the national “Belt and Road Initiative”. Xinyi’s production base in Malaysia is the largest Chinese industrial investment project in the region.
While developing his business, Dr Lee takes honoring social responsibilities as a top priority, and has actively contributed technologies and strengths towards achieving global “Carbon Neutral” goals. Over the past forty years since its establishment, Xinyi has donated over RMB2.5 billion of supplies and money to charity, including building more than 80 Hopeful Schools in the country. For his active participation in charity work, Dr Lee has won honorable awards and titles as the “China Charity Awards” (中華慈善獎), the “Outstanding Patriotic Hong Kong Businessman” (傑出的愛國港商), the “National Model of Enthusiasm, Justice and Courage” (全國熱心見義勇為典範) and more.
Dr Lee is one of the earliest patriotic Hong Kong businessmen to invest in mainland China after the country’s reform and opening-up. Leveraging his connection and using his own funds, Dr Lee established a school in Shenzhen, which is the first in mainland China where qualified Hong Kong teachers can teach. The move has not only helped address the inconvenience for cross-boundary students, but is also the first education collaboration between China and Hong Kong.
In 2008, Dr Lee was awarded the Medal of Honour by the HKSAR Government; in 2015, the Bronze Bauhinia Star from the HKSAR Government and the Datukship in Malaysia; then this year, the Silver Bauhinia Star from the HKSAR Government recognising his active contribution to social services and benevolence.
Dr Lee upholds the philosophy of “Integrity First, Unwavering Perseverance”, continuously moving forward and striving to make the “Xinyi” a world-class brand. At the same time, he is committed to actively giving back to society, treating the world with a grateful heart.
Judges’ Comments:
- Outstanding accomplishments in the glass manufacturing industry
- A visionary leader expanding business horizons globally
- Committed to community services and extraordinary contributions to society
