The country's transformation over the past three decades is recorded in the photos taken by Gilbert van Kerckhove. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 1999, he started his own company, which offers management and strategy consulting to both foreign and Chinese organizations.

Van Kerckhove's international background and rich experience in business are also valued by Beijing's municipal authorities.

For many years, he has been assisting the city in economic studies and foreign-investment promotion.

He was deeply involved in the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics from the early stages, assisting the city's government in fundraising, tendering and economic planning related to the Games.

Appointed as a senior consultant for the Olympic Economy Office of the municipal government, Van Kerckhove called himself a "lobbyist" for Beijing and a "bridge" between the administration and foreign businesses.

He used his own international connections and worked hard to collect feedback on foreign concerns. He also explained in detail to the foreign community the Chinese government's goals, guidelines and interest in seeking foreign involvement in major projects.

He recalls how the authorities carried on with the preparations for the Games even when Beijing was threatened by the SARS epidemic in 2003.