Chinese fabric and textile companies are showcasing the strong ties they have with New York City's fashion and garment industries as close to 300 exhibit their products at the 2014 International Apparel Sourcing Expo.

The show — now in its 15th year — opened on Tuesday and runs until Thursday at the Javits Center in Manhattan, and features a record 768 exhibitors from 24 countries. It is organized by the China National Textile and Apparel Council and Messe Frankfurt USA.

"The trade show shows that the Chinese textile industry and its US counterparts and trading partners can enjoy orderly and stabile free-trade environments and enhance communication, deepen mutual understanding," said president of the China National Textile and Apparel Council Wang Tiankai, in opening remarks.

Wang said that the textile industry in China is a major contributor to the global economy and that the industry will "continue to make efforts to writing new pages for the extensive cooperation for the textile industries of the two countries".

Lu Kang, minister of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States, said that China's textile and fabric industries significantly contribute to US-China's bilateral relations. The expo is happening also on the 35th anniversary of the US-China reestablishing diplomatic ties, and in the 35 years trade between the two nations has increased 200 times what it once was in 1979.

"Our cross-border investment started from scratch, and it reached over $100 billion last year. These close commercial ties between our two countries are mutually beneficial in nature," Lu said. "In this process, the trade of textile plays an increasingly important role because people's livelihoods are better and people attach more and more importance to their clothing. As a proverb says, ‘Clothes make the man.'"

Exhibitors were categorized among apparel, home, and textiles, with professionals showcasing embroidery, denim, lace, linen, silk, wool, and more.

"The last time we were at this expo was in 2011, when the financial crisis was still affecting businesses, so turnout wasn't great. We're looking to see if things pick up this year, which is why we're here," said Kathy Lin, manager of Shenzhen-based Heng Li String and Braid. The company sells lace and cotton appliqués and elastics, with the core of their customers in the US and Europe.

Kashion America, the US arm of Ningbo-based Kashion, is exhibiting at the show for the first time. The company is looking to expand its client base in the US, according to Vice-President Richard Wang, after having focused mostly on European customers in its 12 years.

In a note celebrating the start of the trade show, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote:

"As a premier fashion capital, New York City proudly welcomes the world's top designers, manufacturers and buyers to the largest textile sourcing event in North America. The fashion industry is critical to New York City's cultural and economic success, employing 180,000 New Yorkers and generating more than $10 billion in wages each year."