Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS December 15, 1997

11/24/97, CND-Global

"About a third (1.4 million tonnes) of China's cotton production now comes from the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang, where cotton grown is comparable to the Californian variety in terms of fibre length and strength."

[CND, 11/21/97] China has instituted measures allowing supply and demand forces to dictate production and consumption of cotton in response to an expected bumper harvest this year, AFP reported from Shanghai on Monday. SHI Jianwei, deputy director of the Cotton and Flax Bureau, told reporters that the expected production is 4.3 million tonnes this year. Last year it was 4.2 million tonnes. According to Shi, cotton hectarage has fallen by two to three million mu (130,000 to 200,000 hectares) to 67 million mu (4.47 million hectares). The policy now allows peasants to produce whatever crop they want for profit. This resulted in crop switches away from cotton in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. About a third of China's cotton production now comes from the northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang, where cotton grown is comparable to the Californian variety in terms of fibre length and strength, industry sources said. The Chinese cotton industry has grown from a supply shortfall three year

s ago. Up to 650,000 tonnes of cotton was imported last year. Cotton imports were expected to fall to 500,000 tonnes this year, mainly from the United States, Mexico and Australia. "If textile mills find imported cotton cheaper they will buy more but this will drive up the prices. We are letting market forces determine the supply situation," Shi said. (Weihe Guan, Ray ZHANG)