In recent years, as China-Africa economic and trade cooperation has flourished and the Belt and Road Initiative has continued to advance, more and more Chinese companies have invested in Africa. They have not only helped their own international operations, but also injected new impetus to the development of this promising continent.

In August this year, Orient International (Group) Co., LTD. (hereinafter referred to as "Orient International Group") Ethiopia Sweater Base project has completed the installation of the first batch of 300 computerized flat knitting machines and rear production equipment, and started trial production.

TongJiSheng Oriental international group chairman said that as a group, by far the biggest greenfield investment overseas construction projects, Ethiopia sweater base is the practice of "area" spirit of initiative and the central African BBS, deepen group global layout, the transnational operation strategy and layout of Africa, the important measures to build African textile and garment industry chain.

"The establishment of Ethiopian sweater base can create a global three-dimensional production and regional collaborative supply chain pattern of 'cost-effective products + long-term layout' for Orient International Group in Africa. Oriental international group can also with the help of Ethiopian manufacturing price advantage, to undertake domestic and southeast Asia shift capacity demand on the market, in Europe and America market oriented rapid response at the same time also can through the local radiation throughout Africa market, and promote the brand into Africa, also to support the group achieve sweater OEM ability first in Asia and the new growth potential." Tong jisheng said.

The Ethiopian Sweater Base project was officially started on September 22, 2020. The epidemic has affected the project's planning, construction organization, construction schedule and relevant resource allocation to varying degrees.

Last year, in order to ensure the formal commencement of the project, Oriental International Group sent 7 people to the project site in Ethiopia. In the face of the severe local situation, the project team worked hard to overcome all kinds of unfavorable factors, and on the premise of epidemic prevention and control, raised resources from various sources, optimized and adjusted plans and construction plans, and made every effort to promote the orderly implementation of the project, thus realizing the "two measures" of epidemic prevention and control and project implementation.

Dang Ye, director of Ethiopia Sweater Base project, said the project is one of the few and largest investment projects in Ethiopia during the epidemic. During the one-year construction process, the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Investment Bureau, the National Industrial Park Management Company and other departments have paid continuous attention to the project, and highly praised the smooth commencement of the project during the epidemic period, the completion of the construction objectives in each stage as planned, and the positive impact of the project on the local investment.

In the process of investing in Ethiopia, Oriental International Group brings China's advanced textile technology, technology, professional equipment, rich experience in operation management and fashionable and healthy products to Africa. Officials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Industry and Trade said that this has created necessary conditions for the structural adjustment and upgrading of the local textile industry, and also played a positive role in optimizing the allocation of resources in African countries. The landing of the Ethiopian project will not only promote the local economic development, but also eventually drive the supporting development of upstream and downstream industries in Ethiopia and other African countries, which will play a positive role in promoting and improving the construction of African textile industry chain and promoting African countries to participate in the international economic cycle.

Tong jisheng introduced that Africa is one of the regions with the attributes of "raw material base + manufacturing base + sales base" for the future textile industry. Ethiopia is also one of the most promising areas for investment in Africa. This layout will be conducive to the common development of both industries and ultimately achieve a win-win situation. In the future, with the gradual progress of the project, the local industry chain will be more perfect under the guidance of collaborative development, and the product range is also expected to be more expanded.

At present, sweater Base project in Ethiopia has completed the recruitment of 350 people, and passed the first stage of training. The project plans to recruit about 5,000 local workers in the future.

"In the recruitment process for the project, we pay special attention to developing skilled employees, respecting local customs and culture, caring for employees and making them want to stay. From the start of the project to the commissioning of part of the capacity, we can feel that the careers and lives of many local workers have changed. For example, through training, the efficiency of front-line grommet workers has increased by two to five times." The party Ye said.

"Thanks to the Chinese," said Mahilai, 25, a stomatstomer undergoing pre-job training. They brought me out of the shadow of unemployment and taught me skills." Mahilai is also looking forward to a further increase in earnings when she completes her training and starts work.

We will work with universities to cultivate talents and further contribute to international production capacity cooperation in the Textile industry along the Belt and Road. In September 2018, Donghua University and Orient International Group set up a textile "Belt and Road" education and training base in Ethiopia. Currently, the base is carrying out professional technical training and language training for different textile positions, and providing human resources support for Orient International Group's Ethiopia project.

"The local textile industry foundation is still relatively weak. We hope to improve the overall level of the local industry at the same time, train more local technical talents, improve the overall quality and level of the local labor force, promote the localization of talents, and provide scientific and technological support and talent guarantee for the joint construction of the Belt and Road." Tong jisheng said.

Looking into the future cooperation between China and Africa in the textile industry, Tong jisheng said that Oriental International Group will seize the vast market brought by the Belt and Road initiative and carry out in-depth cooperation with countries along the belt and Road, especially African countries. In the future cooperation between China and Africa textile industry, it is expected that African countries can make up for the incomplete supply chain, give full play to the advantages of low cost of production factors and provide more preferential policies conducive to the development of textile enterprises, so as to attract more excellent domestic textile enterprises to Africa.