Developing synergistic and complementary effects in textiles and clothing (T&C) supply for Greater China

Abstract

The textiles and clothing (T&C) industries in the Greater China region (China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) began to integrate with each other based on their advantageous factor endowments in line with the structural transition of economic developments since the 1980s. This rationalization has not only resulted in the T&C industry of the territory being able to secure competitive advantage in order to gain market share, but also to maintain survival under the rapid changing and competitive global marketplace. The process of integration has further accelerated and deepened after the 1990s with significant changes in the industry structure, production output, trade performance and investments taking place. There are significant opportunities for further strengthening the competitiveness in the T&C industry at both regional and international levels for the Greater China region involving the development of synergistic and complementary effects. These effects will be specially important in the product categories and other related activities across the textile production pipeline in the region. These changes are considered necessary as a response to the challenges and opportunities arising from increasingly liberalized T&C trade and increasing competition in the global market.