At a time when global trade is becoming deeply integrated and the traditional food industry faces the dual challenges of homogenized competition and transformation and upgrading, frozen food exports, serving as an important link between China’s agricultural products and international markets, carry both the foundation of traditional industries and the opportunities for innovative development. For a long time, many have equated traditional food trade with simple “buying and selling,” believing it to be difficult to associate with the “new economy” or technological advancement. However, an entrepreneur who has been deeply engaged in this field for nearly thirty years is breaking this stereotype through technological innovation and expanding development boundaries with a global layout. He is Zhong Zhixian, founder and general manager of Xiamen Kangyida Trading Co., Ltd.
In early 2026, at the “2025 China Economic Summit” held in Beijing, Zhong Zhixian was awarded the title of “Top 100 Outstanding Figures in the New Economy.” This honor stands as strong recognition of his efforts to empower traditional food trade with technology and to promote high-quality industry development.
In August 1997, Zhong Zhixian joined China Xinxing Xiamen Imp. and Exp. Co., Ltd., where he transitioned to take charge of food export business development. This change brought him from a back-office role to the front line, allowing him to directly engage with international markets, accurately capture overseas customer demands, and accumulate valuable experience in business development and client management.
In January 2001, he joined the Xiamen Representative Office of Hong Kong KK Food Trading Co., Ltd., serving concurrently as representative and manager of the procurement and quality control department. This role not only further deepened his understanding of the Hong Kong and overseas food trade markets, but also shifted his focus to procurement management and quality supervision. During this period, he came to fully realize that quality is the lifeline of food trade, laying the foundation for his later emphasis on quality and technology in entrepreneurship.
In December 2007, with thirteen years of industry experience, Zhong Zhixian officially founded Xiamen Kangyida Trading Co., Ltd., serving as General Manager and legal representative, and began his entrepreneurial journey. In its early stage, the company had only three founding members and faced many challenges, including limited capital and intense market competition. Drawing on years of industry experience, Zhong clearly recognized that if traditional food trade relied solely on demand matching and channel expansion, it would be difficult to build lasting competitiveness. Only by focusing on quality control and strengthening technological innovation could a firm foothold be established in the industry. To this end, he placed the company’s development focus on technological development and quality improvement, gradually building a professional team covering business operations, quality control, procurement, and finance. A highly efficient, pragmatic, and professionally capable core team was formed, providing solid support for subsequent business expansion and technological innovation.
“Doing food exports cannot mean simply selling domestic products overseas. One must think from the perspective of the target market and align with local taste preferences, consumption habits, and quality standards in order to truly gain a foothold,” Zhong Zhixian said. Years of experience engaging with international markets have made him deeply aware that product localization is key to the internationalization of Chinese food. Taking the company’s core export product, frozen spring rolls, as an example, he repeatedly adjusted the recipe and production process according to the needs and preferences of the European market. As a result, annual export volume increased from an initial 70 metric tons to nearly 3,000 metric tons by 2025, while also bringing more products such as onions and red peppers into the international supply chain system.
In terms of intelligent transformation, Zhong Zhixian combined his years of industry experience with market demands to successively establish three key systems: a big-data-driven market demand forecasting and precision distribution platform; a digital flavor analysis and product innovation system; and an intelligent supply chain coordination and logistics management platform.These systems cover the entire chain from market analysis and product development to supply chain management, effectively improving operational efficiency, reducing operating costs, and providing strong support for the company’s sustained and rapid revenue growth.
Today, under Zhong Zhixian’s leadership, Xiamen Kangyida Trading Co., Ltd., through deep cooperation with manufacturing factories, has not only achieved rapid self-development but has also indirectly driven employment for hundreds of workers and increased income for more than 2,000 farming households. While promoting industrial development, the company has also fulfilled the social responsibility of an entrepreneur. Zhong remains committed to his original aspiration, continuing to focus on the frozen food export sector and promoting Chinese agricultural products to the global market.
“My goal is not simply to add another export destination, but to become a bridge connecting China’s food industry with the global food industry,” Zhong Zhixian said. In his view, even in the most traditional food trade industry, systematic technological innovation and a well-structured global layout can still constitute a sustainable path for growth. Through nearly thirty years of dedication and innovation, Zhong Zhixian has reshaped the connotation of traditional food trade with technology, setting an example for industry transformation and upgrading, and enabling Chinese frozen food products to shine more brightly on the global stage.
