The second half of the year will be more difficult for the Chinese textile industry because of rising labor costs and slugging international demand, said a senior government official.

The industry is also plagued by a wide gap between domestic and imported cotton prices, said Zhu Hongren, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at a forum on Wednesday.

The ministry will support the industry through a series of measures, including encouraging innovation in high-end textile manufacturing, cutting outdated production methods and supporting growth in the sectors of dyeing and chemical fibers.