China's textile and apparel industry has expanded cooperation with the RCEP on the whole industrial chain

Sun Ruizhe, president of the International Textile Manufacturers Federation and president of the China National Textile Industry Council, said here Tuesday that the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will bring major opportunities for high-quality development of the textile industry. The cooperation between China and RCEP countries in the whole industrial chain of the textile industry has great scope and broad prospects.

The 15th Global Textile and Apparel Supply Chain Conference opened in Pingnan County, Guigang City, Guangxi. Representatives from domestic and foreign textile and apparel supply chains had a "New open and win-win industry landscape under the framework of" dialogue. 26 major projects with a total investment of 16.6 billion yuan have settled in Guigang, and 15 enterprises have signed contracts to enter China (Guigang) textile and clothing fashion New Area.

Sun Ruizhe said at the conference that the textile industry is a leading industry and key area of RCEP regional cooperation. In 2021, four of the top 10 countries and regions in the world for textile and garment exports are RCEP members. The RCEP region has become the most important textile and garment manufacturing center in the world, covering several important textile and garment consumer markets in the world.

According to relevant statistics, in 2021, China exported 87.04 billion US dollars of textiles and garments to RCEP countries, accounting for 28% of China's textile exports to the world. China imported 11.72 billion US dollars of textiles and apparel, accounting for about 42% of the global import volume of China's textile industry. Asean and Japan are important export markets for China's textile industry, Japan and South Korea are important sources of imports of China's textile machinery and functional fabrics, and Australia and New Zealand provide China with a large number of high-quality raw wool materials.

Sun Ruizhe said, to strengthen the integration of human, capital, knowledge, technology, management, data and other innovative elements within the region, accelerate the application of digital, materials, manufacturing, biology, energy and other technologies in the industry.

The conference will be hosted by the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and China National Textile Industry Council. Mr Xu Yongke, member of the Standing Committee of the Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and vice-chairman of the People's Government of the autonomous region, invited an entrepreneur to work with Guangxi to set up the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area -- Beibu Gulf Economic Zone -- ASEAN transnational cross-border industrial and supply chain, as well as to explore the market of ASEAN and countries along the Belt and Road.

Guangxi is an important production base of mulberry cocoon and mulberry silk in China. At present, it has 5 national textile and garment industrial bases and more than 300 textile and garment production enterprises above designated size, forming the largest garment production base in southwest China and one of the four major down processing bases in China.