Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC), recently interpreted the joint action plan by five ministries to cultivate at least 25 'excellent brands' in the textile and apparel sector within three years, supported by a new evaluation index system. This marks a shift from vague ambition to measurable targets.
From Scale to Value: A Quantified Shift
The 25-brand target signals a 'quality-first, excellence-selected' approach. Sun emphasized that this is not a simple number but a directive to concentrate high-quality resources on brands with genuine potential. The simultaneous development of an evaluation system transforms brand building from experience-based to data-driven.
The backdrop is a textile industry facing slowing export growth and rising domestic demand for quality and culture. The joint ministerial action pools policy, talent, market regulation, and IP protection resources, essentially building institutional 'infrastructure' for brand growth.
Dual Drivers: Oriental Aesthetics and Technology
Sun highlighted that excellent brands require technological innovation for quality, oriental aesthetics for cultural depth, and responsible development for brand warmth. This aligns with the industry's shift toward 'tech textile, fashion textile, green textile.'
For buyers and factories, this means new supply chain filters. Candidates for the cultivation pool must demonstrate verifiable results in patents, cultural narratives, and carbon footprint management. For example, are functional fibers or smart weaving used in fabric development? Is the brand story embedded with intangible cultural heritage? Are environmental certifications transparent? These will become scoring items in the evaluation system.
Industrial clusters like Keqiao, Shengze, and Nantong already see leading firms increasing investment in R&D and branding to capture the policy window. The next three years will likely see a wave of 'excellence'-targeted brand incubation cases.
Implementation Path: A Six-Step Execution
CNTAC outlined six work directions: establishing a cultivation mechanism, conducting brand diagnosis services, collecting and promoting brand stories, building public service platforms, integrating cultural tourism with brand consumption, and strengthening talent cultivation.
This six-step framework forms a closed loop from screening, diagnosis, empowerment to dissemination. For small and medium factories, the most relevant are 'brand diagnosis services' and 'public service platforms' – the former offers professional evaluation, the latter may lower costs for design, technology, and channels.
A notable signal is the emphasis on 'deep integration of cultural tourism activities and brand consumption.' This suggests future brand promotion will focus on experiential scenarios – pop-up stores at tourist destinations or collaborations with museums. For firms with local cultural characteristics, this could be a fast track.