Rising costs have forced about 15 per cent of shoe manufacturers in a big south China industrial centre to shut down or relocate in the past year, according to the head of the Asia Footwear Association.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Zhang Huarong identified rising wages as a key factor behind the closures and relocations from Dongguan, a city in southern Guangdong province that is home to about 1,000 footwear companies.