The Shantou Textile & Garment Industry Association delegation conducted economic engagement in Dubai, UAE, exploring new opportunities for industrial cluster globalization.

2025-04-12 09:19:42

To advance global expansion and market outreach for Shantou's textile and apparel industry, the Association organized 17 enterprises to join the Shantou Goodwill Delegation Visiting Dubai, UAE from April 8-12, leveraging the municipal government’s UAE visit. Activities included factory inspections, business matchmaking, and symposiums to assess Middle Eastern market demands and trade dynamics while pursuing international cooperation opportunities.

ParticiPants:

Chairman Weng Chuangjie; Senior Vice Presidents Ma Qingxuan, Weng Luosan, HUANG Hanchu, ZHOU Demao; Vice Presidents Zhang Xiaoqiang, Zhang Weisheng, Guo Yongtong, Zhang Zefeng, Chen Jiadong, Zheng Jizhao, Lin Wenhai, Zhang Weixin, Zhang Shengxu, Chen Yongli; Secretary-General Yv Shaofen.

On April 8, Chairman WENG Chuangjie led a delegation to visit the Guangdong Business Council UAE, receiving a courtesy reception from President Zhang Qinwei and representatives. The parties held discussions on Dubai's investment climate, export advantages, current international dynamics, and transshipment hubs, expressing hopes to strengthen collaboration, leverage complementary resources, and enhance trade exchanges in the textile and apparel sectors between both regions.

President Zhang Qinwei introduced attending representatives of the Council and outlined the establishment and achievements of the Guangdong Business Council UAE. Founded in 2010, the Council is committed to building economic platforms that enable Guangdong’s SMEs to expand into overseas markets.

Chairman WENG Chuangjie outlined the Association’s establishment, Shantou’s textile industry scale, and progress on the Four Major Projects. He stated that while consolidating domestic competitive strengths, the industry encourages enterprises to expand globally. He expressed hope to leverage resources of the Guangdong Business Council UAE to help Shantou textile firms navigate current international dynamics and trade environments.

The Association further invited the Council to organize enterprises and international buyers for origin sourcing visits to Shantou, utilizing participation in the CTGE and hosting promotion forums to build cooperative bridges.

On the morning of April 10, Liu Shaoxiong, Director of the Shantou Municipal Bureau of Commerce, led the delegation on a field inspection of Dragon Mart Dubai, where they received a courtesy reception and guided tour from Li Feilong, Senior Vice President & Secretary-General of the Dragon Mart Chinese Business Council.

Dragon Mart Dubai, acclaimed as the "China Commodity City" commercial landmark, stands as the largest and most comprehensive Chinese goods distribution hub in the Middle East. It aggregates diverse products from China—spanning traditional silks and ceramics to modern toys, electronics, and home furnishings.

During discussions with the Dragon Mart Chinese Business Council, Chairman Weng Chuangjie presented Shantou’s textile industry profile and implementation progress of the Four Major Projects. He extended an invitation for the Council to organize textile enterprises to attend and engage in the 5th Chaozhou-Shantou Garment Expo (CTGE)  next year to explore business synergies.

Subsequently, the Association delegation accompanied the Municipal Bureau of Commerce on a visit to the Dubai Department of Economy, focusing on exploring Shantou-Dubai cooperation opportunities in economic and trade sectors.

On April 11, the Association delegation attended the China (Shantou)-UAE (Dubai) Economic, Trade and Cultural Tourism Exchange Forum. Key speakers included Wen Zhanbin, Secretary of the Shantou Municipal Party Committee; Jassim Al Awadi, Director of Commercial Registration & Licensing at Dubai Economy; Xu Xiaoping, Acting President of the UAE Chinese Federation; and Zhang Qinwei, President of the Guangdong Business Council UAE. The event gathered over 200 participants, encompassing diplomatic officials from the Chinese Embassy in the UAE and Consulate General in Dubai, Shantou municipal leaders, business delegations, enterprise representatives, and UAE diaspora associations and industry organizations.

In his address, Secretary Wen Zhanbin stated that Shantou has consistently acted on entrusted responsibilities with proactive commitment, adhering to the "industrial foundation, industrial strength" development strategy. By stimulating industry through trade, boosting trade via industry, and advancing both sectors synergistically, the city accelerates the "High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns, and Tens of Thousands of Villages". Efforts focus on building the "Three New, Two Special, One Major" industrial clusters—centered on new energy, new materials, next-generation electronics, textiles and apparel, toy creativity, and healthcare. He expressed aspirations to deepen UAE-Shantou collaboration in renewable energy, textile innovation, creative toys, and cultural tourism, building upon enduring bilateral friendship.

At the forum, Vice President C Jiadong presented Shantou’s textile and apparel industry, highlighting its status as a global core base with the most advanced industrial chain and most comprehensive supply chain, producing 40% of the world’s intimate apparel. Recent years have seen enhanced innovation capabilities and green competitiveness. He proposed establishing a joint R&D base for technical textiles, logistics cloud warehouses, and product selection centers through collaboration with Dubai enterprises. Chen cordially invited attendees, UAE textile associations, and business representatives to visit the Shantou International Textile City and 5th CTGE for one-sTop sourcing, jointly capturing opportunities in the regional apparel market.

During the signing ceremony, the Association executed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Guangdong Business Council UAE and secured letters of intent for procurement with four textile and apparel enterprises across the supply chain. These accords will propel the textile industries of both regions, facilitate global market access for Shantou’s premium textile products, and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.