By Senior Editor,China Africa News
Nantong, China- Through coordinated development between China and African countries, a whole‑industry‑chain system encompassing cotton planting, textile processing, and home‑textile manufacturing is being established. In this model, the reach extends beyond China into Africa for both upstream and downstream processes.
Recently, a delegation of African envoys representing 23 countries visited Nantong, one of China’s global hubs for home textiles.
They attended the launch ceremony of the “Yuanchuan (Nantong) China‑Africa Home Textile Production Capacity Model Park” in the city’s Tongzhou district.
At the meeting, Wu Xinming, Party Secretary of Nantong, greeted the envoys and declared that China–Africa relations are “at their strongest in history”. He emphasised Nantong’s geographical advantages, strong industrial foundation and its active role in national strategies such as the Yangtze River Delta integration and the Belt and Road Initiative. Speaking on behalf of the African envoys, Martin Mpana, Ambassador of Cameroon to China, expressed gratitude for the warm reception and praised Nantong’s textile, apparel and construction sectors, which are well‐regarded in Africa.
He stressed Africa’s market potential and looked forward to expanded cooperation in modern agriculture, textiles and infrastructure.
The model park itself has been established with a cumulative investment of 2 billion yuan (roughly US $280.6 million) and covers a planned area of approximately 200 mu (~13.33 hectares). It will integrate the full home‑textile production chain: raw‑material processing, design & R&D, smart manufacturing, branding, logistics and warehousing. Projects tied to the park will also be promoted in Africa, reflecting the intention to link production across continents.
At full capacity, the park is expected to generate about 2 billion yuan in annual taxable sales and 20 billion yuan in e‑commerce trade, while attracting over 10,000 industry professionals. Major cooperation agreements signed during the event include the China‑Africa Maritime Transport Cooperation Project and the Africa Cotton Production Capacity Whole Industry Chain Cooperation Project.
This initiative marks a significant shift: from a simple exporter–importer relationship into one of joint industrial development. It provides African countries the opportunity to move beyond raw‐material exports into value‐added manufacturing, while China secures upstream resources and expands its manufacturing and distribution reach. Together, the arrangement supports jobs, technological transfer and mutually beneficial growth.
Nantong is uniquely positioned for such cooperation. As a mature industrial city with a strong textile cluster, long‑standing Africa‑China ties (including 48 projects across the continent and more than 60,000 Nantong entrepreneurs in Africa) and strategic location in the Yangtze River Delta region, it serves as an ideal bridge for China–Africa industrial cooperation.
