Textile Industry Honored at July 1 Awards: Path from Traditional Manufacturing to High-End Materials Becomes Clearer

Ahead of the July 1st anniversary, the national 'Two Excellences and One First' awards list was announced, featuring nearly ten individuals and organizations from the textile industry. From the chairman of Shandong Weiqiao to a customer service director at a Zhongshan apparel company, and from Hengli Petrochemical's mega refining project to Jilin Carbon Valley's carbon fiber precursor capacity, the list covers key nodes across the industrial chain. What deserves attention is that these honorees are not traditional 'textile giants' but have carved out differentiated paths in technological breakthroughs, green transformation, and global expansion.

From 'Scale Champions' to 'Technology Breakthroughs'

Zhang Bo, chairman of Shandong Weiqiao, was named a national outstanding Party member. As the world's largest cotton textile producer for years, Weiqiao's recent focus has shifted from pure capacity expansion to the synergistic upgrade of its aluminum and textile sectors. Zhang's award, to some extent, recognizes traditional textile giants' proactive embrace of new energy and new materials.

A more typical case comes from Jilin Carbon Valley Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd. Its Party committee was selected as a national advanced grassroots unit. The company is now the world's largest carbon fiber precursor producer, with an annual capacity of 190,000 tons. Carbon fiber, once monopolized by Japanese firms like Toray, has now achieved mass production domestically. This breakthrough accelerates import substitution in downstream industries such as wind turbine blades, aerospace, and sports equipment.

Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co., Ltd.'s Party committee also received recognition. Hengli completed a 20 million ton/year refining-integration project in 19 months and a 1.5 million ton/year ethylene project in 13 months, both world records. These feats have significantly boosted China's self-sufficiency in upstream raw materials like PTA and ethylene glycol. Over the past decade, China has shifted from a net importer to the world's largest exporter of PTA, with self-sufficiency now exceeding 98%, according to industry data.

Green Manufacturing and Carbon Neutrality

Hengli's award materials highlighted its 'embedded wastewater treatment' technology, which reduces COD to below 15 mg/L and achieves full water reuse, earning the company a national 'Green Factory' certification. This is not an isolated case. The textile dyeing and printing sector has long faced high water consumption and emissions. Hengli's practice shows that large-scale petrochemical-textile integrated projects can solve environmental issues at the source.

While small and medium textile enterprises may not directly replicate Hengli's technology, its approach of 'source reduction, process control, and end-of-pipe reuse' offers a valuable framework. Jiangsu Yueda Textile Group's Party committee was also among the honorees; Yueda has been investing in smart and green upgrades, providing a reference for traditional cotton spinning companies.

Accelerated Global Supply Chain Expansion

Changzhou Hualida Garment Group's Party committee represents a typical model of Chinese apparel manufacturing 'going global.' Hualida operates five factories in Vietnam with 15,000 employees, responding to the Belt and Road Initiative for a decade. Its airbag production line turns out 130,000 units daily, and the company has shifted from imported fabrics to full in-house production. Vice general manager Huang Xiaoxiao noted the group is targeting 10 billion yuan in sales.

This case reflects two major trends in China's textile and apparel industry: first, the relocation of low-end manufacturing to Southeast Asia while upgrading domestic headquarters to R&D, design, and high-end manufacturing; second, high-value-added industrial textiles like airbags are becoming new growth drivers for apparel companies. For buyers, this means a 'dual circulation' supply chain strategy—maintaining high-end production domestically and cost-effective capacity overseas—will be the norm in the coming years.

Grassroots Party Members' 'Tech-Savvy' Transformation

Mi Xuemei, from Zhongshan Xiahushijie Apparel Co., Ltd., was the only honoree from an apparel company as a national outstanding Party member. A customer service director and national People's Congress deputy, she has delivered over 100 lectures. One detail stands out: amid the wave of automation, she proactively organized skills training to help workers transition from traditional sewing to technical, knowledge-based roles.

This highlights the textile industry's most pressing human resource challenge. China National Textile and Apparel Council data shows a talent gap of over 2 million skilled workers, especially for operators, maintenance technicians, and digital managers after smart upgrades. Mi's practice offers a low-cost 'internal training' path for small and medium apparel companies.

For Buyers - Monitor domestic substitution progress for carbon fiber and high-performance fibers; capacity expansion by firms like Jilin Carbon Valley and Hengli will directly lower procurement costs. - Prioritize suppliers with overseas production capacity (e.g., Hualida) to hedge against tariff volatility and supply chain risks. - Conduct due diligence on suppliers' environmental credentials (e.g., green factory, water reuse), as these will become implicit barriers for exports to Europe and the US.

For Foreign Trade Companies - Incorporate Belt and Road capacity building into mid- to long-term planning; Hualida's Vietnam experience shows localization can effectively circumvent trade barriers. - Focus on developing domestic capability for high-end fabrics (e.g., coated fabrics for airbags) to reduce reliance on imported materials. - Leverage technical innovation models like 'Party Member Pioneer Posts' to establish internal R&D-production collaboration, boosting product value.