Under the shadow of overcapacity, high costs of green transition, and volatile export orders, China's textile industry is undergoing an unusual display of 'organizational strength' in 2025. Around the July 1st anniversary, over a dozen leading firms—including Shenghong, Weiqiao, Erdos, Dasheng, Hongdou, Hengli, Tongkun, Dali Silk, Anhui Huamao, and Yueda Textile—held intensive Party-building events.
This is not merely a political ritual. When the industry cycle enters deep waters, entrepreneurs are using Party-building as a tool to build consensus, stabilize teams, and reshape corporate culture. The underlying logic deserves a closer look.
Background: From Political Statement to Management Tool
While the formats are similar—awards, lectures, study tours, choir performances—each company tailors the content to its pain points. Shenghong's Party secretary Miao Hangen outlined a 'four-combination' strategy linking Party-building with business, management optimization, work style, and talent development. For a company with over 10 million tons of PTA capacity, this is about ensuring decision signals reach the frontline without distortion.
Erdos Group showcased its dense Party network: 13 party committees, 8 general branches, 92 branches, and 1,956 members. For a conglomerate spanning cashmere, power, metallurgy, and chemicals, this means fine-grained risk control. Thirteen of its grassroots branches have been recognized as 'strong fortresses' at the municipal level.
Dasheng Group's case is historically significant. The 130-year-old firm marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Nantong Independent Party Branch within its mill. Party secretary Bao Weidong emphasized merging Zhang Jian's entrepreneurial spirit, red genes, craftsmanship, and patriotism—essentially seeking a cultural anchor between heritage and modern management.
Industry Impact: How Organizational Strength Translates to Competitiveness
The intensity of these activities correlates directly with three structural pressures.
First, overcapacity demands precision management. China produces over 70% of global chemical fibers, and price wars are eroding margins. Party-building themes like 'work style improvement' and 'talent development' target reducing internal friction and boosting per-capita efficiency. Hongdou's Zhou Haijiang used the Yan'an spirit's 'self-reliance' as the core of his lecture—a mobilization for austerity.
Second, green transition requires long-term consensus. Environmental investments yield no immediate financial returns. Hengli and Shenghong emphasize 'green transition' in their Party events, essentially using ideological work to legitimize short-term profit sacrifice. Weiqiao's 2,000-person choir event builds a psychological contract of 'weathering the storm together' among the massive workforce.
Third, export uncertainty demands internal cohesion. Although destocking in Western markets nears an end, geopolitical risks, currency volatility, and carbon tariffs persist. Tongkun organized 650 members for a study tour to Zunyi, likening the Long March spirit to the company's own ethos of 'unity, pragmatism, and innovation.' The subtext: the tougher the external environment, the tighter the internal bond.
Interestingly, Dali Silk incorporated silk cultural products into its Party events—creating red-themed silk artworks. This suggests Party-building is evolving from a management tool into part of brand narrative. For silk firms with high cultural premiums, turning Party stories into product stories could be a differentiation strategy.