This year is Cultural Year in China. ISTITUTO NAZIONALE PER IL COMMERCIO ESTERO (ICE) hold press conference on China International Clothing & Accessories Fair ( CHIC ) 2006 in Beijing last week.

Mr.Antonino Laspina, Chief Representative of trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission Beijing office, and Mr. Xu Yingxin, Vice Chairman of the Sub-Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT made passionate speech.

Mr.Antonino Laspina said that a delegation of 84 Italian companies are in Beijing attending the ongoing CHIC 2006 and InterTextile 2006, to present clothes and fabric to the world's largest textile manufacturing nation.

CHIC 2006 targets the domestic and overseas fashion industry and kicked off yesterday with 22 Italian menswear companies showing their latest products in the 760-square-metre exhibition area.The delegation also includes 42 fabric companies, showing their products at another fair, InterTextile 2006. It has an exhibition area of 700 square metres.

"The Italian delegation is one of the largest foreign delegations in both fairs. It shows that Italian textile manufacturers are very interested in the Chinese market and also in the possibilities of future co-operation with Chinese partners," said Antonino Laspina, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission Beijing office. He said that for years, Italian garments, with their fashionable designs, high quality materials and fine workmanship, have enjoyed a high reputation around the world.

Mr.Xu Yingxin, on behalf of one of CHIC organizers of CHIC presented  welcome and said that China government adopts measure to advance IR safeguard, to enhance social liability in order to open Chinese market dor Italian companies.

Statistics from the Chinese General Administration of Customs indicate that the import value of made-in-Italy garments reached US$118 million last year, up by 34 per cent year-on-year. Among clothes imported from Italy, woven garments accounted for 60 per cent, and knitted ones for the remaining 40 per cent. Of these garments, woven suits for men were the most popular items to be imported in terms of volume, followed by T-shirts and sweaters for women.