Zhang Bo's single engine aircraft. [Photo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A Chinese-American entrepreneur has launched his bid to become the first person to circumnavigate the world in a light aircraft starting from China.

Zhang Bo and his single engine aircraft set off from Beijing on Sunday. The first leg of his journey took him to the outskirts of Shenyang, Liaoning province, which he left on Monday.

Working with a four member team, the 53-year-old Zhang plans to fly approximately 40,000 kilometers across 20 countries including Russia, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

They will also fly along the ancient Silk Road, with the entire trip set to take around 58 days.

"Every flying fan has the ultimate dream of flying around the globe. I want to meet this challenge and fulfill this great mission of completing China’s first global flight," said Zhang, adding that he had been preparing for the flight for the past two years.