Besides fostering industrialisation and generating millions of jobs across the region, China's advanced technology and the Belt and Road Initiative would also help Africa realise the full potential of its textile and apparel sector, opined experts at the 2024 Sino-Africa International Symposium on Textile and Apparel in Casablanca, Morrocco.
Highlighting Africa’s abundant natural and human resources, Aouraghe Mohamed Amine, Associate Professor, Quanzhou Normal University in Fujian, China emphasised, China’s global leadership in high-end textile technology can support Morocco, especially through its wide-ranging applications in fields such as medicine, aerospace, automotive, apparel, and geotextiles.
Yan Jinjiang, Industrial Development Officer, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, noted, Africa has the required potential to become a global leader in sustainable textiles. Key growth areas such as recycled materials, the creation of industrial parks, and technology-sharing from other nations, could fuel Africa's growth in the sector, he added.
Sun Ruizhe, President, China National Textile and Apparel Council, explained, since its reform era, China has built a comprehensive and competitive textile sector and actively shared its manufacturing innovations and capabilities with global markets.
Liu Chenggong, Party Secretary, Donghua University in Shanghai, emphasised, a thriving textile industry is essential for a nation’s industrialisation and its modernisation. Echoing President Xi Jinping’s call for stronger China-Africa collaboration during the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, Liu highlighted, combined with a 2.8 billion population, this could help drive modernisation forward.
Morocco’s proactive industrial policies have optimised its business climate and expanded international trade, enabling substantial growth in manufacturing, including textiles, Liu affirmed. This forum could prove as a valuable opportunity to strengthen ties with the Moroccan Textile and Apparel Industry Association and the School of Textile and Clothing Industries, he added.
