Mr Dhanin was voted by the Chinese public as the business leader who has contributed the most to China's economic development over the past 30 years. The same publication last month ranked him the fourth most influential business leader in China, in a list that included local Chinese business leaders.

Mr Dhanin, 69, was the first foreign investor to enter China and actually holds the foreign business registration number 001. CP, known as Chia Tai or Zhang Da Ji Tuan, produces almost 40 per cent of China's poultry for export. The company currently operates over 100 feed-mill factories, 50 broilers farms and six processing factories in China. It also has businesses in 29 provinces throughout the country with interests in automotive, multimedia, retail, banking, real estate, pharmaceuticals and petrochemical sectors.

The selection was conducted in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of late leader of the Communist Party of China Deng Xiaoping's opening of the Chinese economy to the world. A committee of academics and members of the media nominated over 2,000 leaders, from which 100 were selected for the voting process. Members of the public voted online or through the China Economic Weekly, a magazine run by a national newspaper, The People's Daily.

Mr Dhanin is reported to have overseen CP's growth from a family business that sold seeds in Thailand to the largest agribusiness conglomerate in South-east Asia. According to a recent statement, Mr Dhanin attributed the secret of his success to long-term planning.

"As one of the first foreign investors to enter China, CP takes a long-term view on the country. Despite the current downturn, prospects are excellent for the future. There is a huge consumer market with more than 1.3 billion people and incomes and spending power will continue to rise," said Mr Dhanin in his statement.