Textile Forces in July 1 Awards: From Digital Transformation to Industrial Chain Autonomy

On July 1, 2025, the CPC held a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, awarding 149 national excellent party members, 150 national outstanding party workers, and 399 advanced grassroots party organizations. Multiple individuals and groups from the textile industry were recognized, covering sectors including chemical fibers, apparel, carbon fibers, dyeing, and home textiles. These awardees exemplify the industry's shift from scale expansion to high-quality development and from catching up to leading.

Background

Among the recognized individuals, Zhang Bo, chairman of Shandong Weiqiao, and Mi Xuemei, customer service director of Zhongshan Xiahushijie, were named national excellent party members. Zhang Bo leads the world's largest cotton textile enterprise, which has been promoting smart manufacturing and green production. Mi Xuemei has conducted over 100 theoretical lectures and organized skill training to help workers adapt to the intelligent wave. The list of advanced grassroots party organizations includes Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian), Jilin Carbon Valley, Changzhou Hualida, and Jiangsu Yueda Textile, covering different segments of the industrial chain.

Industry Impact

Hengli Petrochemical's case shows how large-scale integrated projects can reduce import dependence. Its 19-month construction of a 20-million-ton refining and chemical integration project and 13-month completion of the world's largest 1.5-million-ton ethylene project have lowered the import dependence of textile upstream raw materials. Public data shows Hengli's PTA capacity accounts for about 10% globally, with cost advantages transmitted to downstream polyester and PET filament sectors.

Jilin Carbon Valley's recognition highlights carbon fiber as a strategic material. With 190,000 tons of precursor capacity, it is the world's largest carbon fiber precursor producer. As demand surges in wind power, aerospace, and automotive lightweighting, this scale breakthrough means China no longer depends on global giants like Toray.

Changzhou Hualida's case represents the transformation of traditional apparel companies toward high-end manufacturing and global expansion. Its airbag production line outputs 130,000 units daily, with a shift from imported fabrics to self-owned weaving, coating, and sewing. Following the Belt and Road Initiative for a decade, Hualida has set up five factories in Vietnam with 15,000 employees, forming a global production network and targeting 10 billion yuan in sales this year.

Jiangsu Yueda Textile reflects the role of state-owned enterprises in smart and green transformation. Its smart spinning factory uses fewer than 15 workers per 10,000 spindles and reduces energy consumption by over 20%, becoming a benchmark for intelligent manufacturing.

Practical Recommendations

For Buyers - Monitor the capacity release pace of upstream players like Hengli and Jilin Carbon Valley, as their PTA and carbon fiber precursor prices directly affect midstream fabric and downstream product costs. Establish quarterly price warning mechanisms. - For high-end fabrics like airbag materials, prioritize suppliers like Hualida that have achieved full industrial chain self-control to reduce intermediate risks.

For Exporters - Hualida's Vietnam expansion shows Southeast Asian capacity is still effective for trade barrier mitigation. However, note that local supporting industries (e.g., Vietnamese fabrics still rely on Chinese imports) require a 'core domestic fabric + overseas processing' hybrid model. - For carbon fiber precursor exports, be aware of Western technology control risks. Jilin Carbon Valley's capacity release boosts China's export competitiveness, but overseas patents and certifications should be secured in advance.