"Swimsuit city" Xingcheng is the first stop in a survey on the country’s garment industrial clusters by the National Garment Association. [xclswh.org.cn ]

The National Garment Association says the swimsuit industry in Xingcheng, Liaoning Province, has made sustainable progress in enhancing technologies, product quality, brand building and market competitiveness.

In a survey of China's garment industrial clusters, researchers found that Xingcheng, which is known for producing swimwear with elaborate designs and fine craftsmanship, now makes almost 100 million pieces a year with a total value of 3 billion yuan. Its swimsuits account for 30 percent of all swimsuits sold in the country, as well as 20 percent of those sold in the global market.

Swimsuit production has huge market potential, said Feng Dehu, vice president of the NGA. Xingcheng will expand rapidly in the future because its industry embraces large-scale producers and strong R&D capabilities.