More than 300 computerized flat knitting machines are operated automatically, and the seamless integrated molding machine "intelligently makes" clothes that were difficult to make in the past, supports personalized customization, inputs a yarn, and outputs a ready-to-wear ...... The reporter walked into the garment workshop of Jiaxing Tiwei Fashion Co., Ltd. and saw the amazing modern textile technology.

"Horizontally iterate the technology and process, and climb vertically to the upstream of the industrial chain. Shen Weiguo, general manager of the company, said that the textile industry in the Yangtze River Delta has been deeply cultivated and renewed, and has a new look.

The picture shows the digital workshop of Jiaxing Tiwei Fashion Co., Ltd. taken on April 9. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, where this enterprise is located, is a highland in the Yangtze River Delta region and even the national textile industry. Taking Puyuan as an example, the "sweater fashion town" is a famous wool knitted garment production base, with a turnover of more than 130 billion yuan in the woolen sweater market in Puyuan in 2023, maintaining a scale of 100 billion yuan for five consecutive years.

Zhejiang Huigang Fashion Co., Ltd., located in Puyuan Linkong Industrial Park, is a garment foreign trade enterprise integrating R&D, design, production and sales of garments. The company's fashion products have gained a firm foothold in the markets of Spain, Italy, the United States and other countries, and the output value in the first quarter of this year increased by nearly 15% year-on-year.

"From mass manufacturing to design-focused, corporate profitability is changing. Shen Qiang, general manager of Zhejiang Huigang Fashion Co., Ltd., said that Tongxiang garment enterprises are accelerating their shift to the upstream of the industrial chain and value chain.

The picture shows the designers of Zhejiang Huigang Fashion Co., Ltd. being designed a new style of fashion taken on April 9. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

As an important raw material, chemical fiber is in the upstream of the overall industrial chain of the textile industry. Tongxiang has not only cultivated "overwhelming" small and medium-sized enterprises, but also emerged as a global fiber industry leader.

5G robots conduct 24-hour automatic inspections, replacing manual handling, and processes such as polyester, spinning, winding, and packaging are basically completed by intelligent equipment...... With the empowerment of "Future Factory", Xinfengming Group Co., Ltd. leads the industry in indicators such as per capita production efficiency and unit consumption of single products.

Xinfengming Group integrates PTA, polyester, polyester spinning, texturing, import and export trade, and its revenue will reach 108.3 billion yuan in 2023. In Tongxiang, another leading chemical fiber enterprise, Tongkun Holding Group Co., Ltd., ranks first in the industry in terms of total production capacity, global market share and domestic market share.

The picture shows the automated production line of Xinfengming Group Co., Ltd. taken on April 11. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Liwang

In the face of the complex trade environment and fierce industry competition, where is the commanding heights of the textile industry? In this regard, the two leading chemical fiber enterprises in Tongxiang choose to link up to further compete for the petroleum refining link in the upstream of the industrial chain, consolidate the industrial advantages and reduce uncertainty.

In July last year, Tongkun Holdings and Xinfengming jointly launched the refining and chemical integration project of Taikun Petrochemical (Indonesia) Co., Ltd. in Indonesia, with a total investment of 8.624 billion US dollars including VAT.

"From weaving 'a piece of clothing' to refining and refining 'a drop of oil', we will accelerate the landing, construction and installation of industrial integration refining and chemical projects, and further realize the layout of a complete industrial chain. Zhao Chuncai, vice president of Xinfengming Group Co., Ltd., said.

The reporter visited and found that not only in the textile industry, but also a number of advanced manufacturing leading enterprises in the fields of local glass fiber and new energy batteries have carried out the layout of the industrial chain from a global perspective, gone all out to climb to the upstream of the industrial chain, and continued to enhance the resilience of the industrial chain.

Tongxiang, a small city in the south of the Yangtze River, is striving to improve the industrial chain from "a piece of silk", "a piece of cloth", "a piece of clothing" to "a drop of oil", and under the promotion of digitalization and intelligence, it is weaving a new and more colorful legend. (Reporter Fang Wenyu, Gao Jing)