Mr. Li said in an interview that he wanted banks to cut off loans to all but the strongest solar panel companies and let the rest go bankrupt.

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Li himself stays engaged, speaking at graduation each year (he stays in an unadorned guest room on campus) and appearing at key dedications.

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On the side, he plans to open a tai chi club with the actor Jet Li, build an entrepreneurship university in Hangzhou and continue to work on several social and environmental initiatives, including one with the Nature Conservancy.

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There he became a patron and friend of Li Shan, today a leading Chinese painter with an international following.

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