Opening New Horizons in Fashion: The 7th World Textile Merchants Conference Press Conference Held in Beijing
Newsfile Corp.
5 min read
Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - September 30, 2024) - On September 30, 2024, the press conference for the 7th World Textile Merchants Conference took place at the National Conference Center in Beijing. The conference will be held from October 23 to 26, 2024, in Keqiao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. The organizers provided details about the event and extended an invitation to participants worldwide.
The theme of the conference is "Fashion Horizons, New Quality Futures." It will explore the significance and key pathways of new productive forces in enabling the global textile industry to build a community of development, innovation, and responsibility. Discussions will cover areas such as technological innovation, fashion empowerment, green development, and open cooperation, while looking ahead to a new future of mutual benefit and coexistence in the global textile industry.
In his speech, Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, emphasized that China's textile industry is a steadfast force in promoting global industrial cooperation. For four consecutive years, textile and apparel export totals have remained above $300 billion, contributing over 50% to the growth of global textile and apparel exports.
The conference aims to foster consensus and link resources to drive the development of new productive forces in the world textile industry. As the largest textile trade hub and dyeing industrial cluster globally, Keqiao stands as a pioneer in developing new productive forces tailored to local conditions. Its development practices vividly illustrate the conference's theme, and it is believed that Keqiao will captivate the global fashion scene.
Chen Hao, Secretary of the Keqiao District Committee of the Communist Party of China, highlighted three major features of this year's conference: "Gathering new international industrial resources, pooling new momentum for industrial development, and forging new quality wisdom for win-win cooperation." He looks forward to gathering with industry professionals and leaders for this annual textile event.
He also shared the positive outcomes and remarkable transformations in Keqiao's economic and social development in recent years. Currently, Keqiao is firmly implementing the "Eight-Eight Strategy," vigorously advancing innovation, deepening reforms, and enhancing openness. It aims to accelerate the establishment of three high grounds: market, industry, and scientific innovation, while striving to build the world's largest textile distribution center, international textile exhibition center, modern textile innovation center, textile fashion brand center, and textile headquarters hub, thereby becoming a model for the practice of Chinese-style modernization.
As the permanent host of the World Textile Merchants Conference, Keqiao is evolving into a city with greater developmental strength, open connectivity, and vibrant innovation.
Data shows that nearly one-quarter of the world's textile products are traded in Keqiao, with the total transaction value of the China Light Textile City rising from 220 billion yuan in 2018 to 360 billion yuan in 2023. The annual output value of the textile industry in the district has reached 130 billion yuan, accounting for about one-third of the national capacity, making "Keqiao Textile" the first textile regional brand in China valued over 100 billion yuan.
Yuan Xiaowen, a member of the Standing Committee of the Keqiao District Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of China Light Textile City, pointed out that in recent years, Keqiao has focused on technological, cultural, and responsible productivity, with digitalization, greening, and internationalization as core goals. The district is accelerating the transformation and upgrading of the traditional textile industry, promoting new productive forces from top-level design to implementation based on local conditions and trends.
Promoting the green transformation of the entire textile industry chain is also a key topic at this year's conference. "The development of new productive forces in textiles should be planned from the perspective of harmony between humans and nature, directing efforts towards intensification, reduction, low carbon, recycling, and cleanliness to drive a green and low-carbon transformation across the entire industry chain," stated Yan Yan, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, during a media interview.
She believes that promoting the industry's pursuit of green transformation, development, and prosperity is crucial for enhancing the sustainable competitiveness and future discourse power of the entire sector.
Since 2018, the World Textile Merchants Conference has been successfully held six times. Over these six years, the conference has adhered to the "Belt and Road" initiative and the principle of "cooperation and win-win, responsible development," establishing an international high-end textile exchange and cooperation platform for dialogue, collaboration, and sharing.
The organizers revealed that this year's conference will continue to serve as a bridge for industrial sourcing and international exchange, deepening innovation linkages and enhancing open cooperation to promote high-end, intelligent, green, and integrated development in the global textile industry.
Participants generally believe that the industry and international effects of the World Textile Merchants Conference will further strengthen the dynamic connection between Keqiao and the global textile industry, empowering the construction of a modern international textile capital with new productive forces. It will showcase Keqiao's billion-level textile industry cluster as it competes in future industrial technological innovation, green competitiveness, and cultural leadership, presenting a new vision for high-quality development in the textile sector.
Additionally, concurrent events will include the 2024 WGSN Fashion Future Conference, the 26th China Shaoxing Keqiao International Textile Expo (Autumn), and the 2024 Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn), which will unveil cutting-edge fashion research results and innovative technological achievements, including the 2025 fashion trends and the "2025 Global Textile Industry Trend Outlook Report."
