SHANGHAI, June 24: Representatives from Pakistan, China and various other regional countries met here on Friday and discussed a strategy for promoting healthy competition, after the end of textile quota regime.

The meeting, held under the auspices of the China National Textile Industry Council, considered various proposals for the establishment of a fair economic order, in respect of textile export.

“With the end of textile quota regime major textile exporting countries like Pakistan are facing a new situation, as how to maintain the momentum of their trade to the world market,” said Masood Alam Rizvi, Federal Secretary, ministry of textile industry, who represented Pakistan at the conference.

He told APP in an interview the meeting helped understand China’s position and of other textile exporting countries in the new scenario.

Pakistan has worked out its own plan to maintain its competitive edge in export of textile products. Mr Rizvi told the conference about recent developments in the country, promoting the textile sector.

“We are prepared to coordinate with friendly countries like China for promoting a fair competition in the textile sector and to meet new challenges,” he added.

In reply to a question, the secretary said Pakistan expected to increase export of raw cotton to China in the coming months. In this connection, they are getting a favourable response from the Chinese side, he added.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government issued provisional rules on export quota allocation system that determines how much individual Chinese textile manufacturers are allowed to sell to foreign markets.

The publication of rules follows a Sino-EU agreement signed earlier this month that limits the growth of certain Chinese clothing exports to the EU.

Many Chinese textile firms have enjoyed better business since China agreed with the EU to limit exports, domestic media have reported, attributing the rise to the removal of uncertainty.

China has agreed to limit annual growth in exports of various categories of textiles to the EU to between eight and 12.5 per cent.—APP