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"Textile Capital" Keqiao to Host 2025 the 8th World Textile Merchandising Conference​

China's "Textile Capital" Keqiao is set to host 2025 the 8th World Textile Merchandising Conference in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, from November 6 to 8, under the theme "International Competition and Cooperation: Restructuring the Global Textile Value Chain," according to a press briefing held in Beijing.

The conference will focus on collaborative innovation and sustainable development in the global textile industry, exploring cutting-edge trends such as AI empowerment in manufacturing, value chain restructuring, and fashion innovation. It aims to build an open platform for dialogue, cooperation and shared growth within the international textile community. 

The event will be held alongside the 2025 Keqiao International Textile Expo (Autumn), Keqiao Fashion Week (Autumn), and the WGSN Fashion Future Conference.

As the permanent venue of the World Textile Merchandising Conference, Keqiao has actively advanced the modernization of the textile industry empowered by new quality productive forces in recent years. It has deepened the integrated development of "two new" -- new technologies and new models, launched China's first large-scale textile model, accelerated the application of artificial intelligence, and promoted the digital, green and fashion-oriented transformation of the textile sector, continuously enhancing its reputation as the "International Textile Capital."

Sun Ruizhe, Party secretary and president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), noted that the textile and apparel industry serves as an economic link connecting global markets and a bridge for the exchange of diverse cultures, as well as a key platform for promoting industrial integration and development. At present, factors such as geopolitical tensions and rising protectionism are driving a systemic restructuring of global industrial and value chains. The industry is shifting from a pursuit of "efficiency above all" to a balance between "safety and efficiency," with responsibility and sustainability emerging as new cornerstones of industrial competitiveness.

Sun Ruizhe said that in 2024, China's textile industry recorded a trade volume of 81.34 billion U.S. dollars in intermediate products such as chemical fibers, yarns, and fabrics, demonstrating strong resilience and global coordination capacity. Facing intensified global competition and structural transformation, the Chinese textile industry will continue to advance along the path of "technology, fashion, green and health", nurturing new quality productive forces and contributing "Chinese solutions and textile wisdom" to global industrial chain collaboration.

Yuan Jian, secretary of the CPC Keqiao District Committee of Shaoxing City, said that Keqiao is the world's largest textile distribution center and a globally renowned textile industry hub. In recent years, Keqiao has been guided by scientific and technological innovation, driven by fashion and creativity, and committed to green and intelligent manufacturing. The district has promoted a comprehensive transformation of the traditional textile industry toward digitalization, smart production, and low-carbon development, offering a "Keqiao model" for industrial upgrading to the world.

In 2024, the total transaction volume of Keqiao's China Textile City (CTC), the world's largest textile distribution center, exceeded 400 billion yuan, with products exported to more than 200 countries and regions. Keqiao is accelerating the development of a digital textile trade port, promoting the regular operation of the "Keqiao-Xinjiang-Central Asia" logistics line and the "Keqiao" China-Europe freight train service to build a new global hub for textile trade.

Yan Yan, vice president of CNTAC, said that China's textile industry will focus on making breakthroughs in key technologies such as new fiber materials, intelligent manufacturing and digital design, promoting domestic regional coordination and capacity cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, and deepening energy conservation, emission reduction and circular manufacturing. She added that the World Textile Merchandising Conference will serve as an open, innovative and mutually beneficial platform for cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises.

Looking ahead to the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2025-2030), Keqiao will strengthen the leading role of science and technology, deepen fashion empowerment, uphold green and low-carbon development, and expand new track of "textile + health". Centered on technological innovation, the district aims to accelerate the transformation of its traditional advantageous industries into modern fashion industries, said Song Qi, deputy head of Keqiao District.

According to Sun Weigang, deputy secretary of the Party working committee of CTC, Keqiao firmly moving towards the mid-to-high end of the global textile value chain. He said that CTC will establish overseas warehouses and service stations, build live-streaming bases and cross-border e-commerce platforms, deepen cooperation with Milan Fashion Week, promote the "Keqiao Day" brand, and strengthen the "Keqiao Selected" public brand to comprehensively enhance added value and international influence of the textile industry.

Pan Jianhua, Party secretary and chairman of Zhejiang China Textile City Group Co., Ltd., said that the group is accelerating the development of the "China Textile City Brain," which integrates data systems covering markets, warehousing, logistics and dyeing. The group is also advancing projects such as the digital trade port for light textiles, cross-border e-commerce innovation centers, and public REITs, leveraging digitalization and capitalization to promote industrial upgrading.

During the 8th World Textile Merchandising Conference, a series of themed events will be held, including the World Textile Merchants Summit, Global Fashion Summit, and Digital Economy and Sustainable Industry Development Forum. The conference will also see the release of the "2025 Global Textile Innovation Trend Report," "2026 World Textile Industry Trend Outlook," and the "China Textile Brand Influence List."