Santex Rimar Group, Leading Group Office for Development of Employment-Centered Textile and Apparel Industry in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and China Textile Information Centre, jointly organised a forum that retraces the Silk Road to open a new dialogue between the Asian continent and the Mediterranean Sea.

The aim of the event called Future Textile Road - The future of the new textile industry: a dialogue between Xinjiang, China and Europe is to build an innovative platform for the future development of the global high-end textile industry and the long-term construction of the cooperation system between different countries aligned with The Belt and Road Initiative.

“According to the ten-year plan, by 2023, Xinjiang will build China largest cotton textile production base and the largest garment export processing base. Moreover, Urumqi will turn into a fashion capital of Central Asia,” said Zhao Qing, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Vice Chairman.

Proving commitment

“We are here to open a new dialogue between Xinjiang, China and Europe: Future Textile Road stays for brand-new connections which are being established between different countries and regions. We want to continue to prove our commitment to the Chinese textile industry with this new important milestone in Xinjiang. Xinjiang definitely represents a great opportunity for the global textile industry,” commented Ferdinando Businaro, Santex Rimar Group President.

Stefano Gallucci, Santex Rimar Group CEO added: “Santex Rimar Group wants to join The Belt and Road initiative. We want to bring our know-how and experience in providing solutions for the textile industry and help customers become successful.”

Platform for international cooperation

Gao Yong, China Textile Industry Federation Party Secretary and Secretary General, pointed out that the Forum is expected to create an efficient platform for international cooperation, build closer and stronger network of partners, promote textile industry exchanges at a wider and higher level.

“Xinjiang has become one of the most competitive and rapidly developing textile zone in China, even compared with Vietnam and other regions of Southeast Asia,” explained Liang Yong, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Government Deputy Secretary-General, Xinjiang Textile and Apparel Employment Leading Group Office Director.

“The industry output value is planned to increase from 30 billion RMB in 2014 to 400 billion RMB in 2023. Xinjiang is the nearest region of China to Europe with the shortest and less expensive transport time: international freight train through Xinjiang takes only 12 days to Germany. By 2023, Xinjiang will become the largest cotton textile industry base of China and the most important clothing export base in Western China.”

Sustainability and new materials

Forum took place in Urumqi, Xinjiang, from 16-18 May. Its contents shifted from Ikea commitment to sustainability and new materials to Bonotto example of producing high quality fabrics for the most important fashion brands of the world; from cutting-edge Chinese textile companies such as Ruyi and Huafu to the high-performance applications of recycled materials of Miniwiz.

Gao Yong, China Textile Industry Federation Party Secretary and Secretary General; Yang Zhaohua, Vice president of China Textile Industry Federation, China Chairman of the China Textile Industry Association; Peng Yanli, Deputy Secretary-General of China Textile Industry Association; Qiao Yanjin, President of China Textile Industry Association, Director of Productivity Promotion Department of China Textile Industry Association, Director of China Textile Information Center were among the almost 200 people who attended the first day of the Forum.

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