Intelligent equipment of a textile enterprise in Lanxi, Jinhua. [Photo/WeChat account: lxfabu]

The textile and apparel industry of Jinhua, Zhejiang province, anchored in regions like Lanxi, Yiwu, Pujiang, and Dongyang, has developed into a robust network of specialized industrial parks.

Last year, 1,602 enterprises above designated size — with annual main business revenue of over 20 million yuan ($2.95 million) — achieved a production value of 108.19 billion yuan. From January to April this year, 1,618 enterprises recorded a 4.8 percent increase in output, totaling 36.54 billion yuan.

At Zhejiang Xinlan Textile's factories, robotic arms, AGV carts, and a 5G network replace traditional workers, while AI systems optimize production in real-time, boosting loom efficiency by 5 percent and cutting R&D cycles by 28 percent.

Zhejiang TrueLove Group produces a third of the world's blankets. Its 5G network enables millisecond data transmission and AI-driven defect detection, reducing defect lengths by 90 percent and doubling inspection efficiency.

Jinhua is steering the industry toward high-end, green development. Companies like TrueLove Group are adopting technologies like waste heat recovery, waterless dyeing, and photovoltaic power.

Furthermore, Jinhua supports innovation in R&D and textile equipment. Zhejiang Wanzhou Holding Group has become the only supplier of the raw fabric production process in a new green lyocell fiber chain recently launched in Shanghai.

Wanzhou has reduced energy consumption per meter of fabric to 80 percent of the industry average through technological innovation, improving production efficiency by 3 percent and achieving an annual capacity exceeding 1 billion meters.

At the 139th Canton Fair in Guangzhou in April and May, Jinhua saw a 12 percent increase in textile and apparel intended transactions, actively targeting both traditional and emerging markets.