China targets over 30 trillion yuan in revenue for light and textile industries by 2030

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with two other departments, recently released the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Light and Textile Industry" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The Plan sets a target for 2030: to continuously improve the level of intelligent, green, and integrated development in the light and textile industry, steadily advance transformation and upgrading, and further optimize the industrial structure and layout. It aims for revenue of enterprises above a designated size to exceed 30 trillion yuan, significantly enhancing the industry's position in the global industrial and value chains.

Key Period for Global Value Chain Upgrading

According to an official from the Consumer Goods Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China's light and textile industry has already achieved a globally leading scale. The "15th Five-Year" period is a critical time for the industry to elevate its position in the global value chain and accelerate independent innovation. Artificial intelligence and green, low-carbon technologies are deeply empowering industrial upgrades, while integrated innovation is continuously expanding industry boundaries. The Plan shifts from an emphasis on the scale of an industrial powerhouse to a higher-order development logic that prioritizes independent innovation, transformation and upgrading, deep transformation, and value creation.

11 Expected Targets by 2030

The Plan proposes 11 expected targets across four areas: scale and efficiency, innovation capability, transformation and upgrading, and livelihood security. These include:

• Approximately 550 light and textile industry clusters
• Digital production equipment penetration rate exceeding 63%
• More than 30% of enterprises offering personalized customization
• Over 2,000 green factories
• Approximately 600 Chinese consumer brand-name products

14 Key Tasks and 5 Special Sections

To maintain the scale advantage of the light and textile industry and significantly improve development quality and efficiency, the Plan outlines 14 key tasks and 5 special sections. Technological innovation is highlighted as a crucial measure to break through development bottlenecks and reshape competitive advantages. The Plan focuses on addressing shortcomings in core links of certain sectors and supporting the industry's leap from large to strong. Key tasks include:

• Strengthening original innovation and tackling key core technologies
• Accelerating the efficient transformation and application of scientific achievements
• Cultivating high-quality enterprises

Enhancing Independent Innovation and Supply Chain Security

Liu Jiangyi, Party Secretary of the China National Light Industry Council, noted that global technological competition is intensifying, and industrial and supply chains are undergoing deep restructuring. The light industry urgently needs to transition toward high-value creation. The Plan prioritizes enhancing industrial innovation capabilities, requiring:

• Independent research on key materials
• Breakthroughs in the localization of high-end equipment
• Building a complete, safe, and reliable industrial and supply chain
• Strengthening original innovation and developing key generic technologies
• Promoting coordinated deployment of industrial and innovation chains to accelerate the realization of "Created in China"

Aligning Supply with Demand

The Plan emphasizes the virtuous interaction between supply and consumption as a key lever for smoothing domestic circulation and unleashing domestic demand potential. Specific tasks include:

• Developing new growth areas such as elderly products, baby and children's products, fashion cosmetics, nutritious and healthy foods, IP trendy toys, smart homes, national trend apparel, and sports goods
• Revising and formulating over 30 mandatory national standards
• Completing the revision of approximately 600 urgently needed industry standards

Liu Jiangyi believes the Plan takes enhancing supply-demand adaptability as an important development direction. It requires optimizing the product supply system to precisely meet consumer demand, focusing on the elderly and children, expanding the supply of IP trendy toys, sports goods, and nutritious foods, and developing consumer goods for scenarios such as emotional healing, sleep improvement, and leisure travel. It also calls for improving the quality and standards system, accelerating standard-setting for key areas like elderly products and smart homes, and strengthening mandatory standards for home appliances, toys, cultural and sports goods, and baby products.

Intelligent and Green Transformation

Intelligent and green transformation is seen as a key lever for achieving quality and efficiency changes in the light and textile industry during the "15th Five-Year" period. The Plan deploys tasks such as promoting AI empowerment and accelerating the green and low-carbon transition to support the digital and green transformation of traditional industries.

Zhao Mingxia, Director of the Industry Department of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, stated that in the context of evolving demand, the Plan captures the trends of green and integrated transformation in the textile industry. It deploys specific tasks such as building a green supply chain system and a recycling system for waste textiles, strengthening cultural, scenario, and business model empowerment, and expanding integrated application spaces.

Policy Support and Financial Measures

The Plan also proposes a series of measures to increase policy support, improve the business environment, and strengthen talent support. These include:

• Studying and formulating industrial policies for key industries
• Using policies for first (set) major technical equipment, first batch of new materials, and first version of software to support technological innovation and application in the light and textile industry
• Leveraging the national industry-finance cooperation platform to guide financial institutions in providing diversified financing services
• Supporting eligible key industry enterprises in listing and financing

Zhao Mingxia believes the Plan will guide and promote synergy among enterprises of different tiers, regions, and links in the industrial chain. It will further enhance the textile industry's systemic, large-scale, and innovative advantages, help resolve various external risks and internal contradictions, and continue to play a pillar role in stabilizing growth, foreign trade, and employment, achieving a new leap in industrial structure and comprehensive competitiveness.

(Reported by Guo Qian, reprinted from the Economic Information Daily)