On November 5, the fifth “China, South Korea and Japan Fiber Industry Cooperation Conference” (hereinafter referred to as the “Conference”) was held in Shenzhen. As a bridge for the textile industries of China, South Korea and Japan to strengthen dialogue and cooperation, this year’s meeting continued the theme previously determined by the three parties, informing each other on the status and prospects of their own textile industries, focusing on free trade agreements, environment and product safety, and three fashion industry cooperation projects. Conduct interactive exchanges on important topics.
The Chinese delegation is led by Wang Tiankai, President of the China Textile and Apparel Federation, Gao Yong, Vice President and Secretary-General of the China Textile and Apparel Federation, Xia Lingmin, Vice President of the China Textile and Apparel Industry Federation, and Xu, Assistant to the President of the China Textile and Apparel Federation. Yingxin, Yang Shibin, Chen Dapeng, Sun Huaibin, deputy secretary-general and director of the Industry Department of the China National Textile and Apparel Federation, Yuan Hongping, deputy secretary-general and director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the China National Textile and Apparel Federation, Zhang Qinghui, vice chairman of the China Fashion Designers Association, and others attended the meeting. Representatives from South Korea and Japan were led by Seong Kihak, president of the Korea Fiber Industry Federation, and Shimomura Binichi, president of the Japan Fiber Industry Federation. More than 100 representatives from the three countries attended the meeting.
The meeting was chaired by Gao Yong. As representatives of the participating members of the textile industry of the three countries, Wang Tiankai, Cheng Qihe, and Shimomura Binyi first delivered speeches respectively.
Since this meeting was held immediately following the Korea-China-Japan Summit held in Seoul on November 1st; and the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) made a substantial breakthrough on the 5th of last month, the United States, Japan and 10 other Pan-Pacific countries The country reached consensus on the TPP; last week, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee unanimously approved the recommendations of the “13th Five-Year Plan”. This series of important events makes this session full of highlights.
Wang Tiankai, President of China Textile Industry Federation
This year is the last year of China’s 12th five-year planning cycle. Looking back on the past five years, the economic growth of the textile industry has gradually slowed down and shifted from medium-high speed to medium-speed. The supporting role of industrial structure optimization and development quality improvement has been highlighted. The international development trend of accelerating the establishment of transnational industrial chains and value chains has emerged.
In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between China, Japan and South Korea has been increasingly deepened. The China-South Korea Free Trade Agreement was officially signed in June this year. The two countries’ joint expansion of market and investment opening will bring more vitality to the textile industry. During the negotiations on the China-Korea-Japan Free Trade Agreement, the China Textile and Apparel Industry Council repeatedly expressed its desire to fully open the market to the Chinese government departments and develop together with the Korean textile industry.
Since the beginning of this year, the progress of negotiations on the China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Area has also accelerated. The economic exchanges and cooperation between the three governments have become closer, which will create a more favorable development environment and cooperation opportunities for the textile industry. The three-party textile industry should also seize this opportunity. , further deepen exchanges, strive for cooperation and common development.
For future cooperation between the three parties in the textile industry, it is recommended to focus on deepening cooperation in industrial innovation and ecological development, promoting exchanges in technology applications, ecological standards, fashion creativity, innovative talents, etc.; strengthening trade and economic cooperation, jointly tapping China’s domestic demand potential, and establishing a more collaborative development The transnational industrial layout system of space; establish a more normalized communication mechanism. Based on the existing focus group and liaison mechanism, the tripartite associations will appropriately increase the frequency of communication, regularly exchange important information, and timely discuss important matters such as free trade zones and technical standards. Carry out special communication.
Seong Ki-hak, Chairman of Korea Fiber Industry Federation
This year, South Korea’s economy has faced many difficulties due to the impact of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and reduced exports. In the face of difficult domestic and international environments, the Korean textile industry continues to explore cooperation with domestic and foreign industrial chains, research and development of new materials, and integrated development of related industries, and actively seeks transformation models for new growth drivers.
This year, the economic and trade environment of the three countries has undergone major changes. The TPP negotiations in which Japan participated reached a basic agreement on October 5, and South Korea and China formally signed a free trade agreement on June 1, which is expected to take effect at the end of this year or early next year. Not only that, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations involving 16 countries, including South Korea, China and Japan, have also entered a substantive stage. In the process of such a transformation of the trade environment, the textile industries of the three countries will play a crucial role.
The cooperation between South Korea, China and Japan is very important to the peace of the peninsula and the development of international relations. It is expected that the three countries will go beyond economic interests in the process of promoting the free trade agreement and regard the Kaicheng Industrial Park as an effective resource for integrating the industrial chains of the three countries. At today’s meeting, we hope to gain opinions from all parties on sensitive issues such as regional trade liberalization and rules of origin, and then discuss timely response plans. At the same time, it is expected that the textile and apparel industries in the three countries will regard the weakening global economy and changes in the trade environment as new opportunities rather than bottlenecks, and should serve as a stepping stone to explore new growth drivers.
Shimomura Binichi, Chairman of Japan Fiber Industry Alliance
Looking at the world economic situation, emerging countries that play the role of the engine of world economic growth are experiencing a slowdown in economic growth. Although the U.S. economy continues to rise and the European economy tends to recover, the outlook is not optimistic.
Since the change of government in Japan at the end of 2012, although there are signs of recovery due to the Abenomics effect launched by the Abe administration, the increase in consumption tax implemented in April last year has led to a gradual slowdown in economic growth and a weak recovery in production. On the other hand, the fiber industry environment is not optimistic, and there are partial signs of recovery in the production sector, but they are far from reaching the level before the Lehman shock. As the depreciation of the yen accelerates, energy and other costs rise, and it faces a bad situation of profitability.
However, the Japanese government has launched a number of policies to address deflation, which is a golden opportunity for the fiber industry. In addition, the TPP basically reached an agreement early last month, which is expected to have a good impact on other negotiations. In addition, exports continue to expand, and I think this is a great opportunity to create demand by effectively utilizing imports and promoting trade and investment to further expand business flows to the global market.
Regional economic cooperation is rapidly promoted around the world, and the borderless world is also rapidly advancing. Emerging countries are on the rise. The markets in China, Japan and South Korea are more mature, consumer demands are diversified, and supply chains are rapidly globalizing. As the world pays attention to the rapidly growing Asian market, China, South Korea and Japan must strongly realize that we are a developed country in the fiber and fashion industries in Asia and even the world, and strengthen activities to promote Asian fashion to the world. From a mid- to long-term perspective, the Asian region has the potential for rapid growth. We hope to actively communicate on the business model of vigorous cooperation between China, Japan, and South Korea, strengthen mutual trust, and work together to advance together.
Expectations and worries: deepen consensus and strengthen cooperation
Before the three topics were discussed, Xia Lingmin, vice president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, Yin Xiurong, vice president of the Korea Fiber Industry Federation, and Suzuki Jun, president of the Japan Chemical Fibers Association, respectively introduced the current development status of their country’s textile industry. Affected by factors such as the complex internal and external economic environment, rising overall costs, and intensified resource and environmental constraints, the textile industries of China, South Korea, and Japan have all encountered difficulties and challenges, and they are all actively seeking a path to transformation. Representatives of the three parties affirmed the important role of the conference in deepening cooperation over the years, and also expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation and build consensus in the future.
Xia Lingmin said that during the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period, the scale efficiency of China’s textile industry has basically grown steadily. However, with changes in the external situation and internal development methods, the growth rate has gradually shifted from medium to high speed during the “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” period to medium-high speed. speed. Although the industrial structure has been further optimized and comprehensive strength has been steadily improved, China’s textile industry still has many problems in terms of fiber raw material supply and demand, energy conservation and environmental protection, innovation capabilities, and industrial layout adjustment. Therefore, in the upcoming “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan” stage, technological innovation, brand building, ecological civilization, industrial layout, adjustment of corporate structure, and talent cultivation will become the main directions of industry development.
Entering the first topic “Free Trade Agreement”, Kim Namyoung, executive vice president of the Korea Fiber Industry Federation, Tamura Atsuhiko, executive secretary and assistant to the president of the Japan Fiber Industry Federation, and Sun Huaibin, deputy secretary-general and director of the Industry Department of the China National Textile and Apparel Industry Federation, respectively delivered Report. Faced with the hot-button issue of FTA, the three parties expressed their respective opinions on the global supply chain and trade changes and investment mobilization it will bring.
Sun Huaibin said that the complementary textile industrial structures of China, South Korea and Japan, and the resulting development of close trade relations, are the most important foundation for the trilateral free trade area. The adjustment of industrial layout driven by investment will have a long-term impact on the implementation of the free trade agreement. Focusing on the economic development needs of the three parties, the free trade area agreement should be reached as soon as possible to fully share the freedom dividend.
The second topic was “Environment and Product Safety”. Nagaho Yuki, head of the Environment and Safety Issues Committee of the Japan Fiber Industry Alliance, Li Ruiping, vice president of the China Printing and Dyeing Industry Association, and Lee Chang-wook, executive director of the Korea Chemical Fiber Association, reported on the latest results in their respective fields. This is mainly reflected in the sewage treatment problems in the textile industry.
Li Ruiping said that this meeting focused on the exchange of laws, regulations and standards related to printing and dyeing wastewater from the three parties, as well as its control and governance, and made due contributions to the environmental and ecological safety, energy conservation and emission reduction of the three parties’ textile industry, and the overall improvement of the printing and dyeing technology level. .
The third topic, “Fashion Industry Cooperation Project”, was led by Chen Dapeng, executive vice president of China National Garment Association, Zhu Sanghao, executive director of Korea Fashion Association, and Miyake Masahiko, vice president of Japan Fashion Industry Association and chairman of Japan Fashion Week Organization, reviewed the achievements of the three parties this year. Regarding the cooperation in the fashion industry, they also shared the next step of deepening the interaction between the three parties, and agreed that cultivating young designer resources is an indispensable link in establishing Asia’s fashion power.
Chen Dapeng said that in the era of global economic integration, although the development levels and stages of the garment industries in the three countries are different, they are all standing at a new intersection. Facing the changes of the times, consumption and industry, the three parties should deepen their cooperation, and the focus of cooperation will still be around the fields of clothing design, cultural creativity, products and consumption. For example, the three parties will launch the Asian Digital Fashion Design Competition in the three places for the first time next year to cultivate young fashion designers who are proficient in using digital design technology.
Before the end of the meeting, Wang Tiankai, Cheng Qihe, and Shimomura Binyi signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the tripartite textile industry organizations, agreeing to continue to deepen consensus on China, South Korea, and Japan’s textile industry free trade and textile industry safety and environmental protection issues on the current basis, and for More specific cooperation measures will be taken to expand the fashion influence of China, South Korea and Japan.
, products and consumption and other fields. For example, the three parties will launch the Asian Digital Fashion Design Competition in the three places for the first time next year to cultivate young fashion designers who are proficient in using digital design technology.
Before the end of the meeting, Wang Tiankai, Cheng Qihe, and Shimomura Binyi signed a cooperation agreement on behalf of the tripartite textile industry organizations, agreeing to continue to deepen consensus on China, South Korea, and Japan’s textile industry free trade and textile industry safety and environmental protection issues on the current basis, and for More specific cooperation measures will be taken to expand the fashion influence of China, South Korea and Japan.