Xinjiang-cotton.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
China has passed preferential policies meant to benefit the textile and garment industry in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Ministry of Industry Information Technology (MIIT), together with the National Development and Reform Commission, is in the process of drafting guidelines to invigorate the industry by utilizing the ample resources present in the region, according to Gao Fu, deputy head in charge of the consumer goods industries under the MIIT.
A goal for the guidelines is to raise the region's cotton manufacturing to a level where it can compete with those of the rest of the country, and to expand and fortify the industry by 2020.
With these plans implemented, the industry will create 600,000 jobs.
High labor costs and a limited skilled workforce, in addition to a well-supplied market, have weakened the cotton manufacturing industry in Xinjiang, the country's region that boasts of high-quality cotton.
To counteract the problems, the government will funnel money into the region and implement the policies, Gao said.
"We will also introduce companies with advanced technology to the region, encourage the development of local companies, and assist Xinjiang in opening up the overseas market," the official said.
