Under the Belt and Road Initiative, Java kapok (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.) is pioneering a new ecological sphere for the cotton industry. This highly promising woody fiber plant produces high-quality natural fibers with excellent properties, including high hollowness, strong hydrophobicity, lightness, warmth, and antibacterial and anti-mite characteristics. Its drought resistance and adaptability to poor soils make it valuable for combating rocky desertification and promoting energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cultivation. Additionally, the fibers of Java kapok are fully biodegradable; plantations require no irrigation, further enhancing its environmental and low-carbon sustainability. This study explores the economic, ecological, and social values of Java kapok through resource surveys, breeding trials, agroforestry systems, and industry chain construction in the dry-hot valley of Honghe, China. The study demonstrated that Java kapok, with joint efforts among researchers, government agencies, local communities, and private sectors, could drive innovations, technological progress, and sustainable development in the cotton industry chain, thereby fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.