Members of A Date with China media tour visit Hotsuit in Shishi of Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province, on May 17, 2024. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of international media tour A Date with China visited local sauna suit brand Hotsuit in Shishi of Quanzhou, East China's Fujian province, on Friday, experiencing the vibrant development of China's textile and garment industry.

In recent years, the domestic sportswear brand has emerged on the international stage, not only competing head-to-head with international brands in some niche markets but also leading the industry's development.

As one of the rising domestic brands, Hotsuit, founded in 2015 in Shishi, pioneers a new category with its sauna suits and exports to 78 countries and regions worldwide, becoming a leader in the sauna suit market.

Shi Junqi, the founder of Hotsuit, remarked that Quanzhou is not only the starting point of Maritime Silk Road but also a renowned hub of the garment industry. "The global connection and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has given local garment brands unprecedented opportunities to go abroad," Shi said. The overseas sales of Hotsuit account for approximately 35 percent of its total sales and are expected to increase to 50 percent by the end of this year, according to Shi.

As one of the representatives of Quanzhou's textile and garment industry, the company has also committed to boosting intelligent manufacturing to expand the advantages of its products with innovation.

Shi observed that, with the continuous development of the Chinese textile industry, the domestic brands will play a more leading role globally and provide more possibilities for the upgrading of China's manufacturing industry.

Yasmin von Roon, an Internet influencer from Italy, tried Hotsuit's sauna suit and was amazed by the high technology injected into the sportswear. "I hope the cooperation on technology and innovation between Chinese and Italian sportswear enterprises can be boosted, which will bring benefits to the people's daily life in both countries," she said.