The sand table model of the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone [Photo provided to China Daily]

Hodo Group, located in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, is one of the largest clothing companies in China, with sales reaching 50.3 billion yuan ($7.3 billion) in 2015. The firm started by making knit vests in 1957; it has since developed 10 subsidiaries and operates in various fields including clothing, rubber tires, biomedicine and real estate.

As one of 120 pilot enterprises designated by the State Council for deepening reforms, the company has followed the government's call to "go global". It has two subsidiary corporations in New York and Los Angeles, and its products are exported to more than 20 countries and regions.

Since 2007, the group has made a significant investment in helping build the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Cambodia. Jointly developed by the Cambodian and Chinese governments, the zone covers an area of 11.13 square kilometers. The area has attracted more than 100 global companies, and helped create 16,000 jobs.

The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone in Cambodia [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The economic zone serves as a platform for Chinese businesses to participate in the Belt and Road Initiative," said Zhou Haijing, president of Hodo Group.

Hodo's participation in the construction of SSEZ also helps boost Wuxi's economy and strengthens its partnership with Sihanoukville.