Forging New Paths for the Industry! Association’s Exploration Delegation Heads to Thailand to Seek New Overseas Opportunities.

2023-07-15 10:12:00

To seize the major opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and to support the overseas expansion of Shantou’s textile and garment industry clusters while helping enterprises tap into Southeast Asian markets, a delegation from the Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association (STGIA) visited Thailand from July 6–15. Leveraging the concurrent visit of Shantou’s economic and trade delegation to Thailand, the trip aimed to explore production-sales collaboration models for Southeast Asian market layout and lay groundwork for organizing member enterprises to participate in the China (Indonesia) Trade Expo in November.Led by STGIA President Weng Chuangjie, the 20-member delegation included senior representatives such as Executive Vice Presidents Ma Qingxuan, Huang Hanchu, Weng Luosan, and Zhou Demao.

July 6th -July 10th   Thailand

China (Shantou) - Thailand Economic, Trade, and Cultural Cooperation Exchange Conference

On the afternoon of July 9, the China (Shantou)-Thailand Economic, Trade & Cultural Cooperation Forum and the "Three Rivers Flowing Overseas, One Letter Returning Home" Overseas Chinese Letters & Cultural History Exhibition were jointly hosted by the Shantou Municipal People’s Government and the Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, Thailand.

△China (Shantou) - Thailand Economic, Trade, and Cultural Cooperation Exchange Conference

Attendees included: Han Zhiqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Thailand; Arun Sinsuek, Thai Senator, former Inspector-General of the Royal Thai Police, and former Minister of Labour; Wen Zhanbin, Secretary of the Shantou Municipal Party Committee; and Lin Chuqin, President of the Thai Chinese Chamber of Commerce, among others, who delivered speeches. Also present were Xu Huishen, President of the Thai Teochew Federation; Liu Jingshi, Consul for Overseas Chinese Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Thailand; Peng Cong’en, a municipal leader of Shantou; representatives from government departments, Thai overseas Chinese associations, chambers of commerce, entrepreneurs, and the Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association (STGIA) Delegation.

△Delegation of the Shantou City Textile and Apparel Industry Association

At the exchange forum, a project signing ceremony was held, including: the Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association (STGIA) signing a ¥1 billion export procurement agreement with the Thailand-China Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce; The STGIA and Shantou Fulaimai Garment Co., Ltd., and Thailand Annei International Co., Ltd. jointly signing a ¥1 billion export procurement agreement; and STGIA finalizing a strategic cooperation agreement with Asset World Corp Public Company Limited.

△Vice Chairman Zhou Demao signed an intent agreement on behalf of the association with the Shenzhen Thailand-China Chamber of Commerce; Vice Chairman Wang Luosan signed a tripartite agreement on behalf of the association with member units Fulaimai Garment Co., Ltd. and Annei International Co., Ltd..

△Executive Vice President Ma Qingxuan signed a strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of the association with AWC.

During the promotion session, President Weng Chuangjie delivered a focused presentation on Shantou’s textile and apparel industry to attending leaders, Chaozhou business elites, and enterprises. Highlighting the industry’s scale and development environment, he showcased Shantou’s strengths as a global hub with the most complete textile and apparel industrial chain and clusters, along with its vast growth potential. He issued a collaboration invitation to global textile clusters, industry associations, and elites, proposing to leverage Thailand’s regional advantages to co-build production bases; establish trade hubs via platforms, cloud warehouses, trading firms, and live-streaming bases to expand global sales channels for Shantou’s textiles; and sincerely inviting overseas Chinese merchants and textile enterprises to invest in Shantou and jointly explore markets.

△President Wang Chuangjie delivered a presentation on the industrial theme.

The delegation of the Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association, led by President Weng Chuangjie, conducted visits to multiple chambers of commerce and enterprises, engaging in site inspections, business matchmaking, and exchange forums.

Visiting and exhanges

On the afternoon of July 6, the Delegation Visited Thailand Annei International Co., Ltd. During discussions with its Chairman Huang Zengbin, they gained insights into China's textile export trade policies and Thailand's consumer preferences for Underwear and home apparel.

△Delegation visits Thailand Annei International for exchanges

On July 8, the delegation met with Thailand-China Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce President Zheng Chubiao, Thai Consul General in Guangzhou Ms. Zheng Jieying, Thai Guangdong Chamber of Commerce President Lin Guoxin, and other representatives. They exchanged views on Thailand's industrial park policies, labor and energy costs, and explored bilateral cooperation opportunities in textile and apparel sectors.

△Delegation visits Thailand-China Shenzhen Chamber of Commerce.

△The delegation visited the Thailand Guangdong Chamber of Commerce.

To better understand local market trends, the delegation also conducted field visits to Thailand's specialized textile markets to identify business opportunities.

△ The delegation conducted on-site inspections of Thailand's specialized markets.

Shantou’s textile and apparel industry will leverage its global supply chain cluster advantages to consolidate traditional partnerships, explore new sectors, and seek business opportunities through the municipal government’s promotional initiatives abroad. Moving forward, the Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association (STGIA) will strengthen coordination with local Thai chambers, facilitate practical collaborations between Shantou’s textile enterprises and Thai-Teochew businesses, and harness the strength of Thai-Teochew business communities to support overseas expansion. Additionally, it aims to attract more Thai-Teochew businesses and textile enterprises to invest and collaborate in Shantou, enabling them to share in the new development opportunities of their hometown and contribute to the high-quality growth of Shantou’s textile industry.