Already the world's largest wholesale textile market - accounting for one-fourth of global transactions in fabrics - China Textile City in Shaoxing county of Zhejiang province is moving to grab an even greater share of the market, according to a development plan by the county government.

But instead of further expanding its already massive facilities, it plans for further growth through e-commerce.

The government will invest about 2 billion yuan by 2015 to develop and operate an "online textile city".

The vision is to become the world's largest e-commerce platform for the textile industry, combining online transactions and settlement, a trade database and public services.

It will include all textile manufacturers and traders in Shaoxing county and another 1.5 million worldwide.

The project inaugurated in March will serve more than 60 percent of the textile enterprises throughout the world after it is put into full operation.

The online system consists of five functional centers.

There is a trade information center, offering clients with information about demands, supplies, products and their targeted cooperative partners.

An industrial information center will focus on releasing information about real-time product prices, transaction dynamics, industrial news and development trends.

The most important part of the system is the online transaction center for online orders and payment.

It also has an online forum to facilitate communication among industry insiders.

Its public information center provides clients with modern information technology to change the traditional design methods, manufacturing methods and marketing.

A highlight of the system is it is not only virtual world for Internet users, but it also offers connections with many sectors of the real economy.

Operators of the system offer warehousing and logistics services for clients.

There will be links to inspection services in many parts of the world to help ensure the quality of traded products.

Actual showrooms, too

The operators also have plans to build showrooms throughout the world. Clients can place online order after examining real samples.

The online textile city will closely cooperate with banks and other financial organizations to facilitate payment and settlement.

The system will also be accessible through mobile phones.

Operators have already forged partnerships with world-renowned IT companies including Microsoft and Google.

On March 18, the county government of Shaoxing held a news conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to announce the inauguration of the online textile city (http://www.qfc.cn) project. Agreements were signed between the county government and Microsoft and the Bank of Communications during the event.

On May 7, an international conference for the promotion of the project was held at the International Convention and Exhibition Center in the China Textile City when it inked a cooperation agreement with Google China. In addition, 506 textile enterprises signed up to be the members of the system.

On June 28, the first phase of the project - including trade and industry information centers, and an online forum - became operational, attracting more than 10,000 visitors the first day.

On July 8, Ding Jianjun, general manager of the online textile city headed a delegation to Italy that discussed building showrooms for product samples.

(China Daily 10/18/2011 page18)