As scheduled， ShanghaiTex 2017 has come with increasing number of exhibitors who provide the state-of-the-art technology and innovative products， featuring high-end， artificial intelligent （AI）， green and cater-to-client offerings which are subject to “Customization” trend， bringing the manufacturing closer to Industry 4.0.

ShanghaiTex is a biennial event， which takes place every two years， allowing ITMA Asia + CITME to fill the blank in the years between， making it possible for textile machinery exhibition an annual trade show in the same city， thanks to the concerted efforts and coordination from the different organizers.

China strives to be a strong manufacturing country in 2025 as stipulated in the national ambitious blueprint [[ Made-in-China 2025]]， pointing out that China shall become a powerful maker not only in the general consumption goods sector， but also in the advanced equipment manufacturing industry. With this， making China a strong socialist country in the middle of this century is not an ambition harbored in heart， but a dream to be realized， an even more ambitious program made clear in explicit terms in the latest CPCs National Congress report， which is also a guideline for our textile industry to take to the new route in the process of the big-to-strong metamorphosis.

About 7 years ago in 2010， a national blueprint was made public to turn the textile industry into a strong manufacturing sector in 2020， and this equally ambitious plan can not be made true without technical backup from textile machinery manufacturing sector， meaning the new and stateof-the-art technology and equipment from domestic and international suppliers have been playing and shall continue to play protagonist role in upgrading and shaping the industry for tomorrow. Also important is the textile equipment trade fair in playing an instrumental role in facilitating the technical escalation program to boost textile economy， which is the very reason why ShanghaiTex 2017 is much sought after and brought to spotlight wherever you can see， feel and touch.

In fact， Chinese textile machinery manufacturers are praiseworthy and applaudable for supplying premium quality equipment in both domestic and international markets over the years， and the first half of this year also witnessed 15.88 percent growth for 16.84 billion yuan in business income，with profit up by 20.5 percent， a reflexion of dynamic demand by clients for new and highly efficient machines to keep production lines running at low cost and high productive rate. To respond to the demand， an artificial intelligent line is not optional， but compulsory in reaching out to what is now known as “ smart， high-end， green and cater-to-client” features in the thematic and“customized” trend that ShanghaiTex 2017 is focused on.

A textile machinery trade fair is not a pompous show where you are pleased to meet the global great and good， but a solution that the industrial great and good can work together to find. I hope this Special Issue of CHINA TEXTILE can be of any assistance in ushering you into a business horizon.

ZHAO Hong， Editor-in-Chief

November， 2017endprint