12 August 2014 – Philippine Consul General Julius Caesar A. Flores paid a courtesy call on local government officials in Shishi City on April 28. Shishi, which is located in the southeast coast of Fujian Province and roughly 70 kilometers north-east of Xiamen City, is one of China’s top apparel and textile hubs.

The meeting sought to advance closer cooperation between the peoples of the Philippines and the City of Shishi through proactive collaborations in the fields of culture and the arts, sports, academe, and media, as well as enhanced private sector interactions.

Consul General Flores and his party took the opportunity to visit Shishi’s major apparel and textile center, known as Star One Innovation Park being developed to strengthen Shishi’s role in Southern China’s textile industry. The Park is home to hundreds of mainland China’s bustling fashion design, haute couture and casual wear studios and outlets. Foreign designers, including those from the Philippines, have been invited to participate in the activities of the Park which will soon be completed.

Shishi city officials also brought Consul General Flores to visit the Fashion Center, a huge multi-level complex, in the heart of the city mixing fashion studios and shops for design and outlets for haute couture and casual wear. The complex will soon be completed where Chinese and foreign designers will work together to highlight Shishi as a fashion center in Fujian and Southern China.

This familiarization tour culminated with a visit to the Elite Global Trading Company, a garment enterprise that has been operating in Shishi over the past few years. The company employs 14 Filipino workers, who are skilled in garments design, distribution, and export.

Consul General Flores took the opportunity to encourage these Filipinos to continue their dedication to work, and reminded them to be mindful of their responsibilities as expatriates by shunning away from activities that would violate Chinese laws. END