Relocation pioneer awaits rest of clothing industry's arrival

Chen Bingliu relocated his dressmaking company from Beijing to Hebei province's Yongqing county in July, getting ahead of the government's plan to move clothing manufacturing and other industries out of the capital.

He found being among the first to relocate to a development zone about 40 km south of Beijing had its benefits and drawbacks. Some of his costs were lower, but he encountered challenging transportation and worker recruitment issues.

Chen first considered relocating his Beijing Yingke Clothing in 2009. He bought the land and started factory construction the next year. "Though relocation was not compulsory at the time, I knew it was a trend for the noncapital industries, such as clothing manufacturing and wholesale markets, to move out of the capital," he said.