The municipal government of Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, and the China Textile Commerce Association will jointly organize an international fashion festival in March 2004.

The 2004 Guangzhou International Fashion Festival, to be held from March 5 to 8, 2004, will be one of the nation's largest fashion galas.

The Guangzhou Commerce Bureau, the Guangzhou Garment Industry Association and the Guangzhou Commercial Exhibition Service Centre will manage the event.

Sales of garments and related accessories, the latest fashions and a design contest will be among the highlights of the event, said Zhu Li, deputy secretary-general of the Guangzhou municipal government.

"The event is expected to be a green channel for domestic brands to go abroad and a bridge for international brands to enter the domestic market,'' he said.

"It is also expected to fortify the position of Guangzhou as one of the largest garment trading pivots in China.''

Official statistics indicate that Guangzhou has more than 2,800 garment manufacturers, and their annual production tops 20 billion yuan (US$2.41 billion), totalling up to 8 per cent of the nation's total.

About 65 per cent of their products are sold abroad.

According to Zhu, the organizing committee of the festival is trying to invite both domestic and foreign fashion brand names as well as professional buyers worldwide.

Many European brands including those from France, Germany, Britain and Italy will be present.

And buyers from domestic cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chengdu, Dalian and Harbin as well as those from Southeast Asia and Europe will visit the festival.

He said that the organizing committee will invite influential international fashion designers to release their latest fashion works during those few days.

And a fashion design contest will also be organized to compliment the festival.

The municipal government of Guangzhou initiated the annual event of Guangzhou International Fashion Festival in 2001.

This year's festival was cancelled because of the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

Last year's event attracted 120,000 exhibitors and buyers from home and abroad and deals worth 1.85 billion yuan (US$222.89 million) were clinched, official statistics indicate.

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