Despite the fact that since the 2nd half of year 2008, China textile industry has been suffering unprecedented difficulties due to the global economic downturn, however, the high-tech industrial textile sector in China maintained rapid increase with the average annual growth rate of above 18% over the last five years.

The country´s industrial textile and nonwoven sector, unlike the traditional textile industry with too much reliance on the development of the export processing model, is now gradually becoming a stable new economic growth point along with sound development of national economy, said Mr. Zhu Minru, Chairman of China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association.

Since last year, China has expanded demand in domestic market with stimulation package, especially in rural infrastructure construction, railway and other major infrastructure, which will greatly boost the demand for geotechnical composite materials and other industrial textiles. Besides, medical textiles will also see great chances along with the development of medical industry under state supportive policy.

The industry of industrial textile has characteristics and advantages of intensive capital, high technology, low labor force, qualified worker and huge domestic market, which are totally different from traditional textile industry with intensive labor and poor technology. However, the industry of China in a time of rapid growth still highlights alarming lack of capability of independent innovation, and promotion on industrial framework, according to Mr. Zhu Minru. In addition, China´s exported amount of industrial textiles at present is relatively low and most of the products are still sold in domestic market, which leads to the low competitive index of international trade. In the long run, the industry of industrial textile still has huge potential market and great competitive ability after optimization and upgrading of industrial structure under stable economic development in China, especially for filtration materials, geosynthetic materials, canvas decorative nonwovens and high-performance composite materials.

Source: China Textile Leader