The 4th Chaoshan Textile and Garment Exhibition opened in Shantou on March 18, bringing together more than 1,000 enterprises from across the industry. This year's event, themed "Back to Chaoshan," features a 130,000-square-meter exhibition space showcasing the entire supply chain, from yarns and fabrics to finished garments.
The exhibition has attracted international buyers from more than 40 countries and regions. Representatives from foreign trade enterprises and cross-border e-commerce platforms are also attending, underscoring the region's growing importance as a global textile hub.
Shantou unveils new industrial strategy
During the opening ceremony, Shantou announced its latest industrial initiative, dubbed the "Four New Major Projects," aimed at strengthening the city's position as a global textile and apparel powerhouse. The strategy includes the development of a high-quality fabric manufacturing base, an international digital trade hub for textiles, an intelligent cloud warehousing center, and an integrated talent and innovation center.
Textile and apparel manufacturing is a pillar industry in Guangdong province and the first in Shantou to surpass 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) in output. In recent years, Shantou has set ambitious goals to expand the sector into a 200 billion yuan industry cluster. Its previous "Four Major Projects"—establishing a global textile procurement center, a smart textile industrial park, an international exhibition center, and a textile headquarters building—have already been implemented, facilitating the sector's expansion and modernization.
With the shift from the initial "Four Major Projects" to the "Four New Major Projects," Shantou is pushing for a transition toward high-end, intelligent, and sustainable development in the textile sector.
Growing international influence
Since its inception, the Chaoshan Textile and Garment Exhibition has seen steady growth in both exhibition size and international participation. Over four editions, the exhibition area has expanded from 30,000 to 130,000 square meters, while the number of exhibitors and the overall quality of participants have continued to rise.
According to official data, in 2024, Shantou's total industrial investment reached 68.16 billion yuan, with 21.32 billion yuan allocated to the textile and apparel sector—accounting for 31.27% of the city's total investment and marking a 35.7% year-on-year increase.
At the event, several key projects were signed, including investments in nylon manufacturing, advanced yarn processing, an intelligent cloud warehouse logistics base, and international procurement deals. These initiatives aim to enhance Shantou's industrial supply chain, boost e-commerce, and improve logistics infrastructure, reinforcing the city's role in the global textile and apparel market.
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Fourth Chaoshan Textile Garment Exhibition to kick off in Shantou on March 18
Reporter | Li Muzi, Hu Nan
Video script | Li Muzi
Videographer | Deng Yingheng
Video editor | Deng Yingheng
Poster | Deng Yingheng
Editor | Hu Nan, James, Shen He
