2020 is an extremely difficult and extraordinary year. The Covid-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on the world’s economy. Under this context, the Chinese people have achieved decisive achievements in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Among them, China’s textile industry has made outstanding contributions in fighting the epidemic, stabilizing employment, improving people’s livelihood, and promoting development. The goal of becoming a textile power has basically been achieved.

For the textile industry to make greater achievements in the new historical period, it needs to find a precise positioning, and clarify the development direction.

During the “14^th Five-year Plan” period (2021-2025), the textile industry will promote the high-quality progress in technology, fashion, and sustainable development. Rather than focusing on the incremental goal, the industry takes the high-quality development as a breakthrough. By improving innovation capabilities, sustainable capabilities, and resource allocation capabilities, China’s textile industry aims to become a pillar industry for national economic and social development, a fundamental industry that improves people’s livelihood, and an advantageous industry among international cooperation and integrated development.

I. Strengthen the strategic support of science and technology

Improve the independent innovation in the field of science and technology. China’s textile industry will strengthen R&D and innovation in areas such as new fiber materials and equipment, green manufacturing technology and equipment, advanced textiles and equipment, and key textile intelligent manufacturing equipment. By strengthening basic research and original innovation, the textile industry strives to break through the bottleneck of core technologies, filling up the cutting-edge technology gaps in the fields of high-performance fibers such as carbon fiber, para-aramid, polyimide, and their related composite materials.

Perfect the technological innovation system. China’s textile industry will establish industry key laboratories and technological innovation centers, and promote the optimal allocation and resource sharing among key enterprises, scientific research institutes, and universities. Support enterprises to take the lead in forming innovation consortia to sundertake major scientific and technological projects. Actively integrate into the global innovation network and strengthen international cooperation.

Improve the transformation efficiency and industrialization level of scientific and technological achievements. The comprehensive management system of intellectual property rights will be fully improved, so as to establish the entire chain, including creation, utilization, protection, management and service. Build the standard system, and promote the integration of domestic and international standards.

Improve the scale and quality of scientific and technological talents. China’s textile industry will establish a technological innovation team with internationally leading level. Develop high-level research-oriented textile disciplines and cultivate basic research talents. The connection among vocational education, further education, and general education will be strengthened to expand the training scale of professional and compound textile talents.

II. Promote the industrial cycle and improve the modernization level of the industrial chain and supply chain

Shape the advantages of the manufacturing system based on a solid foundation. China’s textile industry will perfect the entire industrial chain manufacturing system from fiber production, dyeing and finishing, to end product manufacturing. Focus on strategic new materials and key areas and promote the development of technical textiles. Vigorously develop intelligent equipment and build textile intelligent workshops and factories based on emerging information technology. China’s textile industry will speed up the construction of new infrastructures such as industrial Internet platforms and big data centers, developing new manufacturing models and business formats such as service-oriented manufacturing, and creating an intelligent and flexible supply chain.

Gather resources to promote the intensive development of the textile industry. Deepen the integration of production and financing. China’s textile industry will encourage mergers and acquisitions and alliances among enterprises to achieve complementary advantages in resources. Properly increase the industrial concentration and cultivate a group of world-class textile and garment enterprises with international competitiveness. Public service platforms should play an important role in resource integration, promoting upstream and downstream cooperation in the industrial chain, and achieving integrated and synergized development of industries, universities, and research institutes.

Improve capabilities and strengthen industrial safety ecology. Aiming to improve the key areas and weak links of the industrial chain, China’s textile industry will vigorously develop coal-based raw material for chemical fibers and technology related to bio-based chemical fiber. Guide cotton planting in multiple regions to ensure the safety of textile raw material supply. Actively respond to new industry issues such as data network security.

III. Promote the dynamic balance between supply and demand based on the increasing domestic demand

Optimize the product supply system based on high-quality improvement. China’s textile industry will strengthen the research on fashion trends, the development and application of new materials and technologies, so as to improve people’s livelihood. Intelligent wearable apparel, sustainable products will be the focus of more and more interest from industry insiders. With the help of technological innovation and application innovation, China’s textile industry will expand the application of textiles in strategic areas related to the national economy and people’s livelihood, such as medical and hygiene, national defense and military industry, aerospace, and continuously expand new consumer potential.

Lead the trend of consumption upgrading based on brand building. Based on the development of “masters, famous brands, and important events”, China’s textile industry remains committed to create a fashion ecology with Chinese characteristics, world influence, and characteristics of the times. Form a group of independent brands with Chinese characteristics and cultural connotations. And promote the innovative and market-oriented development of textile intangible cultural heritage continually.

Improve the efficiency of consumption conversion with channel building as its core. China’s textile industry will actively promote the integration of online and offline channels, and speed up the application of new models and business formats such as live broadcast e-commerce and community marketing.

IV. Create new advantages in international cooperation and competition based on high-level opening-up

Consolidate the advantages of foreign trade. While deepening the development of traditional markets, China’s textile industry will also focus on emerging markets. Unify China’s industrial quality standards and certifications with international standards.

Introduce high-quality resources. Attract global resources with domestic circulation in China to meet the growing consumer demand and industrial demand. Guide foreign capital to invest more in advanced manufacturing, energy conservation and environmental protection, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the domestic textile industry.

Promote production capacity cooperation. Balance the relationship between domestic and international industrial transfer, scientifically guide the international layout and cooperation of industries. China’s textile industry will export more independent equipment, and technology, further invest in Lancang-Mekong cooperation and other key regions. Strengthen the social responsibility system of Chinese enterprises overseas, so as to create a good business atmosphere for industrial development.

V. Promote the sustainable transformation of the textile industry

Centering on the goals of “carbon peak” and “carbon neutrality”, China’s textile industry will establish an industrial system for green and low-carbon circular development. Deepen the whole life cycle management, and implement green planning, green design, green investment, green production, green circulation, and green consumption in an all-around way.

Enhance green technological innovation. Key technologies for recycling are being developed, including green fiber technology, dyeing and finishing technology with less water consumption and fewer chemicals usage, green manufacturing technology. The textile industry will promote clean production in the entire industry chain, so as to control pollutants in the production process and recycle resources comprehensively.

Strengthen the green management system. China’s textile industry will build social responsibility system by enriching management tools and methods, and broadening applicable subjects and fields. By further improving the green standards and green certification system, a batch of demonstrations of green factories, green products, and green supply chain industries can be set as an example to the whole industry. In addition, as China scaled up its nationally determined contributions with the announcement last year of new targets for carbon peak and neutrality, China’s textile industry should also carry out related cutting-edge basic research.

Create a green supply chain system. China’s textile industry will encourage the design and development of green products and improve the sustainable level of textiles. Strengthen the development and application of green fibers and fabrics. With the help of the Internet, an information platform for waste recycling can be created for textile industrial parks.

VI. Optimize industrial layout and build coordinated regional development

Give full play to regional comparative advantages. Integrate industrial development into the strategic building of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as well as the Yangtze River Delta. Form an industrial layout with distinctive characteristics, complementary advantages, regional linkages, and coordinated development based on full consideration of economic laws, resource allocation, and environmental capacity. The eastern region of China should focus on mid-to-high-end development, building international-level R&D centers, design centers, and brand centers; the central region should create a better business environment and take on transfer of textile industry; the western and northeastern regions should rely on distinctive resources, national culture, and traditional crafts, etc. vigorously develop characteristic textiles.

Strengthen the cluster development in key areas and regions. Promote the cultivation, construction and upgrading of textile industrial clusters. In doing so, it can drive the county economy and township economy. For the next step, digital industry clusters, advanced manufacturing clusters, and fashion industry clusters will be cultivated. World-class textile clusters and fashion towns can be established based on efficient integration of various high-quality resources.

Guide the orderly transfer of industry. By giving full play to the leading advantages of the eastern coastal industries and the huge space for industrial development in the central and western regions, the balanced development of industries across regions will be further promoted. Flagship projects will drive the orderly transfer of supporting sectors in the industrial chain, forming new industrial advantages in the destination regions. The activities such as industrial conferences, large-scale exhibitions, fashion weeks can promote the transfer of industry’s superior resources to the central and western regions.