Liu Qiangdong was born in Suqian, Jiangsu province. As a young man, Liu Qiangdong had an interest in politics. However, finding a degree in politics would not guarantee good job opportunities, Liu spent all his spare time learning computer programming. In June 1998, he started his own business named Jingdong in Zhongguancun High-tech Industrial Park in Beijing. His focus was on selling authorized products. Liu launched his first online retail website in 2004, and founded JD.com (short form for Jingdong) later that year. Since then, the company has become one of the leading e-commerce businesses in China.