Asia'S Largest Cloth Market "World Cloth Supermarket" Makes Him Take Root

In China Textile City yard, Bobby is finishing the fabric

Shaoxing, July 14, Xinhua (reporter Xiang Jing) 18 years ago, Indian cloth merchant Bobby came to China. He did not expect that he would take root in Keqiao, Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, and have a Chinese daughter-in-law and two mixed blood babies.

"Keqiao gives my family a feeling and a real small home." Bob said in an interview.

China Textile City Market

From the spontaneous formation of "riverside cloth Street" to China's Textile City market with thousands of merchants, Keqiao is famous for its cloth and is a city "supported on cloth". In 1992, with the approval of the State Administration of market supervision and administration of China, "Shaoxing textile market" was renamed as "China Light Textile City", becoming the first professional light and textile market in China with the title of "China".

Over the past 30 years, China's light and textile city has developed from small to large and transformed from inside to outside, attracting numerous overseas businessmen to pursue their dreams. Today, it is the largest professional fabric market in Asia. In 2021, the online and offline market transaction volume of China's textile city will exceed 300 billion yuan.

Foreign businessmen's choice of fabrics

"Because of a business about cloth, I came to Keqiao." Bobby can speak fluent Chinese. He recalled that the textile market at that time was not as big as it is now, but merchants were like weaving, and they operated a wide variety of fabrics, "any kind of cloth can be bought, and it is of high quality and low price".

In order to expand the door of opening to the outside world, more than 10 years ago, the local government encouraged overseas traders to set up entity companies and set up foreign-related management and service centers to provide services for foreign-invested commercial enterprises and foreigners resident in Keqiao, especially in clothing, food, housing and transportation. As a result, the inflow of foreign businessmen has doubled.

"At that time, the staff of Keqiao government helped me to find stores. I rented a 30 square meter store to do business, which was used to receive foreign guests and help them choose suitable fabrics." Ali, general manager of Shaoxing hubeixi import and Export Co., Ltd., is from Yemen, and is a typical representative of the transformation from a purchaser to an investor.

Foreign businessmen shuttling in fabric Market

Relying on the "world cloth supermarket", Ali's foreign trade business is getting bigger and bigger. Now his company is the largest foreign-invested commercial enterprise in Keqiao. In its view, the good geographical location, strong urban inclusiveness, and the gathering of various advantages and unlimited business opportunities make many foreign businessmen choose Keqiao and take root in Keqiao.

Under the cultivation of cloth merchants at home and abroad, more than 500000 kinds of textiles have been sold in the market. Nearly a quarter of the world's textiles are traded here, and the products are exported to 192 countries and regions.

"Foreign trade is an important pillar of the market of China's light and Textile City, in which foreign businessmen have made great contributions." Pan Jianhua, chairman of Zhejiang China Light and Textile City Group Co., Ltd., said that in order to let foreign businessmen enjoy better service, China Textile City market opened its first foreign-funded exclusive zone a year ago, aiming to create a window for foreign exchange and boost the development of the international textile market.

Design and color cloth

In the exclusive foreign trade zone of China Textile City market, there are fabric purchasers from 9 countries, such as Pakistan, Iran and Yemen. Chinese and foreign merchants often negotiate business and buy and sell fabrics here.

Because of the "cloth", overseas merchants gathered here, and because of this city, foreign businessmen found the feeling of "home".

After foreign businessmen take root in Keqiao, problems such as medical insurance, children's enrollment, business investment and so on follow. In 2021, Keqiao established Keqiao foreign community center (kfcc), including 15 countries such as South Korea, India and Pakistan.

"Kfcc has brought together the foreign community with the purpose of concentrating resources, cooperating with the government, serving the public, and doing some practical things for foreign businessmen." Han Jun, Secretary General of the overseas market promotion association of the light and Textile City in Keqiao District, Shaoxing, and "housekeeper" of kfcc, said that many foreign businessmen have lived in Keqiao for more than 20 years, "hoping that kfcc will become the" mother's home "of foreign investors

At present, Keqiao is full of "world restaurants" and "foreign faces". The market has attracted foreign businessmen, and the city has retained them. This Jiangnan Water Town has become more and more international.

"Most of the time, Keqiao has opened more than 20 Indian hotels, and I have eaten all of them." From never knowing Chinese to being able to speak Chinese and understand dialects, boby praised Keqiao as a very inclusive and international city.

"Keqiao has the policy and resource advantages to attract foreign investors, and has a more inclusive and open humanistic feeling, so people don't want to go when they come." Abdullah, a Pakistani cloth merchant who has lived in Keqiao for 20 years, confessed that he had already regarded Keqiao as his "second hometown" and that he felt at home when he worked in Keqiao.

It is more important for the Secretary of Shaoxing District, Mr. Keqiao, to be the window of China's textile industry.

(source: China News Network)