China’s textile industry is a key player globally. In 2018, China’s chemical fiber production exceeded 50 million tons, making up over two thirds of global production. Textile exports from China reached 37.6 per cent of the world’s total in 2018, a 3.5 per cent increase from the previous year, while apparel exports accounted for 31.3 per cent of the world’s total. China is the world’s biggest textile exporter.

Domestic retail sales of apparel grew by eight per cent in 2018. China’s textile industry’s investments in fixed assets grew by five per cent in 2018, before slowing in the first half of 2019. Investments have focused on technology and innovation, resulting in increased productivity. With its position at the forefront of the world’s textile industry, China is now entering a new era of textile manufacturing and design. Among the key components are technology and innovation, culture and local talent and sustainability.

China’s textile industry has steadily placed more investments further overseas, upstream and downstream. Between 2015 and 2018, Vietnam received the highest investment volume, followed by Ethiopia, Myanmar, Egypt, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Tajikistan. An estimated 18 per cent of China’s textile exports go to the US.