Forty Years Through Wind and Rain, Setting Sail for New Journey——The 40th Anniversary Celebration and the 11th Council's 4th Expanded Meeting of CSMA Successfully Held in Beijing

On December 10, 2024, the 40th Anniversary Celebration and the 11th Council's 4th Expanded Meeting of CSMA was grandly held in Beijing. Generations of sewing machinery industry practitioners from across the country gathered together to witness CSMA’s and the industry’s 40 years of development, through both hardships and triumphs, looking back into the industry’s perseverance, resilience, and determination, embodying the indomitable spirit of the industry.

Zhang Chonghe, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the China National Light Industry Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. Other attendees included Bu Zhengfa, former President of the China National Light Industry Council, Zhu Rui, Deputy Director of the Consumer Goods Industry Division of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Wang Shicheng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the China National Light Industry Council, He Ye , Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Vice President of the China National Light Industry Council and Honorary Chairman of CSMA, Li Yuzhong, Standing Committee Member and Vice President of the China National Light Industry Council and Chairman of the China Leather Industry Association, Guo Yongxin, Standing Committee Member and Secretary General of the China National Light Industry Council, Guo Qiang, Executive Secretary General of the China National Light Industry Council, Yang Shuguang, Deputy Secretary of the Disciplinary Committee and Deputy Secretary General of the China National Light Industry Council, Jiao Pei, Vice Chairman of the China National Garment Association, Zhu Xiaohong, Chairman of the China Home Textile Association, Ji Jianbing, Vice Chairman of the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association, Tu Qi, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China National Furniture Association, and Tian Minyu, former Chairman of CSMA, along with over 400 attendees including retired leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the sewing machinery industry, industry professionals, and representatives from enterprises, research institutes. Friends and media gathered to celebrate and share the remarkable achievements of the China Sewing Machinery Industry’s 40 years of development. The conference was hosted by Chen Ji, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of CSMA.

Zhang Chonghe, President of the China National Light Industry Council, noted in his speech that, over the past 40 years, CSMA has led the industry from small to large, from weak to strong, daring to reform and innovate. The industry now generates nearly 30 billion yuan in revenue, with profits close to 1 billion yuan and exports of 2.9 billion US dollars, which are 28 times, 30 times, and 167 times higher than 40 years ago, respectively. CSMA has applied for nearly 25,000 invention patents, maintaining the world’s largest scale. Breakthroughs have been made in key technologies such as core control algorithms, equipment interconnection, remote operations, smart sensors, machine vision, material handling, and cloud platforms, leading global integration applications and contributing to the growth of China's light industry.

President Zhang Chonghe emphasized that China is entering a new phase of development, as President Xi Jinping has called for comprehensive improvements in industrial foundation and the modernization of the industrial chain. Sewing machinery plays a key role in industries such as textiles, apparel, footwear, luggage, furniture, and home textiles, closely tied to the downstream sectors. He stressed that CSMA must assume its responsibility and, with contemporary boldness, strive to write a new chapter of quality development for the industry.

President Zhang Chonghe proposed four hopes for the China Sewing Machinery Industry and CSMA:

Focus on Innovation, Develop with New Quality: President Xi Jinping pointed out that New Quality Productive Forces are driven by new industries, characterized by innovation, with a focus on quality, and essentially represent advanced productive forces. CSMA should lead the industry by prioritizing technological innovation, strengthening basic research, enhancing original innovation, improving innovation efficiency, and raising the quality of innovation. The focus should be on new technologies, new materials, new processes, and new equipment, tackling "bottleneck" technologies, fostering new development momentum, and leading the industry’s new quality development through technological innovation.

Quality First, Service Oriented: The sewing machinery industry is not only an upstream sector for consumer goods such as apparel, footwear, luggage, home textile, cultural and sporting products, but also serves key national development areas such as building, automotive, and aerospace materials. It has a wide coverage and broad involvement, making it highly significant. CSMA should lead the industry by being market demand-driven, aiming for high-quality development, and committing to high-level supply, strive to produce a wider variety of products with better quality and more renowned brands, providing high-quality and high-level services to meet people's needs of better lives and China’s demand for development.

Strategic Guidance, Contribute to Strong Nation: The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China set the goals for high-quality development in the new era and made strategic arrangements for the construction of Chinese-style modernization. CSMA should lead the industry in implementing the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, practice national strategies, strengthen planning and layout, consolidate traditional advantages, expand emerging advantages, and cultivate future strengths. This will contribute to the high-quality development of the sewing machinery industry and the effort to build China into a global leader in sewing machinery.

Strengthen Ability, Optimize CSMA: The journey is long and arduous, but we must take the first step anew. CSMA should strengthen its leadership through Party building, enhance its internal development, innovate its work approach, optimize its organizational structure, and improve its management mechanisms while adhering to its service mission. By improving governance capabilities through the "four services" and strengthening itself through self-discipline and autonomy, CSMA should strive to build a cohesive, self-reliant, trusted by the government, relied upon by the industry, supported by enterprises, and indispensable professional association of excellence.

Yang Xiaojing, Chairman of CSMA, delivered a welcome speech. He emphasized that the 40-year journey has been a history of entrepreneurship , hard working and passing on the torch from generation to generation; a history of innovation, serving the country and fulfilling its mission; a history of arduous struggle, overcoming obstacles and remaining resolute; and a history of development, striving for progress and inspiring action. Looking ahead, CSMA will seize the opportunity of the 40th anniversary celebration to move forward with the joint efforts of all member enterprises. It will remain steadfast in its commitment, demonstrating the new mission and responsibility of China's sewing machinery practitioners as they strive to achieve the grand goal of making China a global leader in sewing machinery. CSMA will continue to write a new chapter in the development of the sewing machinery industry in the new era.

He Ye, Standing Committee Member and Vice President of the China National Light Industry Council and Honorary Chairman of CSMA, delivered a concluding speech. She first extended her warm congratulations on the successful convening of the conference, and highly affirmed the achievements of the industry and the association over the past 40 years, as well as CSMA's innovative work in 2024. She stated that the association's work is closely aligned with the characteristics and development requirements of the times and has been pragmatic and effective. She pointed out that 2025 is the final year of the "14th Five-Year Plan" and the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan," and a key year for the sewing machinery industry's "Strong Nation Development Strategy" and the "High-Quality Development Guidelines for the Industry." This is a critical year for moving toward the goal of becoming a leader in the global sewing machinery sector. She hoped that the CSMA should: First, strengthen Party building to lead the industry’s high-quality development. Second, implement the central government’s directives and promote the new quality development of the industry. Third, deepen exchanges and cooperation to solidify the foundation for a strong nation. Forth, enhance internal development and improve the "four services" capabilities. She emphasized the need to build a more cohesive, self-reliant, trusted by the government, relied upon by the industry, supported by enterprises, and indispensable professional association at a higher level.

Zhu Rui, Deputy Director of the Light Industry Division of the Consumer Goods Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, congratulated the conference and affirmed the contributions made by CSMA and the industry to the development of industrial consumption. Jiao Pei, Vice President of the China National Garment Association, delivered a speech on behalf of the industry chain partners.

CSMA Distinguished Members

CSMA Honorary Members

CSMA Advanced Members

CSMA Advanced Individuals

The meeting also recognized outstanding contributions with awards for 12 CSMA Distinguished Members, 33 Advanced Members, 12 Honorary Members, and 36 Advanced Individuals.

Following the ceremony, the 11th Council's 4th Expanded Meeting was held. The delegates listened to and reviewed the 2024 Working Report of CSMA presented by Chen Ji, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, the 2024 Upgraded and Innovative Sewing Machinery Products Selection Report presented by Xu Dong, Deputy Secretary-General, and the 2024 New Members Development Report presented by Liu Min, Vice President. Membership certificates were issued to new members who joined in 2024.

On December 9^th , CSMA also held its 11th Council's 6th Executive Council meeting and the 1st Supervisory Board's 6th meeting.