While September 10th is a multi-faceted day for many people, it was on this date, 20 years ago that Chinese internet giant Alibaba was born. What started in 1999 as a small company has grown into a global powerhouse, 100,000 employees strong. Now, its longtime CEO Jack Ma has cleared the way for his successor. CGTN's Wu Lei shows us how Alibaba's past and present come together today for what promises to be another strong 20 years.

Zhang Guomin started making clothes in 2016. With the help of Alibaba's global e-commerce platforms, Zhang routinely exports 30% of his total products to Vietnam, Myanmar and other southeast Asian countries.

ZHANG GUOMIN, GENERAL MANAGER ZHEJIANG HUZHOU BABY BOSS CLOTHING CO., LTD. "The platforms help us guide the exports through bid data analysis, then we adjust our products and services accordingly."

Zhang says Jack Ma and Alibaba have changed the lives of millions of small business people. According to the company's 2019 fiscal year report, its total revenue was 56,152 million US dollars, an increase of 51% year-over-year. Annual active consumers on China retail marketplaces reached 654 million.

WU LEI HANGZHOU "Each animal here represents a business unit of Alibaba group. The company has grown from a small e-commerce start-up to an internet giant. On Alibaba's 20th anniversary, the company says it is ready for a new era with new visions."

Zhang Yating joined Alibaba last year. She says she has been fascinated by the company's missions and values.

ZHANG YATING, NLP ALGORITHM SCIENTIST ALIBABA DAMO ACADEMY "No matter how Alibaba operates various businesses, I feel the company's values and visions have always been passed on to its people. I believe this is the major reason that a company can move forward."

Daniel Zhang officially becomes the new Chairman of Alibaba Group Tuesday.

BRIAN A. WONG, VICE PRESIDENT ALIBABA GROUP "I think Daniel brings vision, he brings organization, he is a very good leader at structuring the organization so we can get the best output in a best result from the teams we have."

Globally, Alibaba employs over 100-thousand people. In addition to balancing its globalization and localization, Wong also points out that technology innovation is another challenge for any new tech company leader, saying investors and consumers are always watching the next steps of this internet powerhouse. WL, CGTN, HZ.