People appreciate works by Chinese cartoonists at an exhibition in Guangzhou. Zou Zhongpin

GUANGZHOU: This southern Chinese city will step up efforts to boost the development of its animation and comic industry through more financial support and nurturing talents in the years ahead.

Sources with the Guangzhou municipal press, radio and television authority said that the city would make an annual investment of up to 150 million yuan (US$19.2 million) to develop the industry in the next five years.

The city will also earmark an additional 30 million yuan (US$3.8 million) to award local animators that have made great contributions.

"We will spare no efforts to introduce and groom more talents, in a bid to realize another rapid development of the industry," Fan Xu, director of the Guangzhou Press, Radio and TV (Copyright) Bureau, said at the third Golden Dragon Award ceremony in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province.

The Golden Dragon Award, which is regarded as one of the most important events for the cartoon industry on the mainland, will be permanently held in Guangzhou.

"The award is a strong incentive for local animators to develop high quality products," Fan said.

One Guangzhou-based animation and comic company and three best local animators, including Guan Ying, Ding Bing and Wang Xiaoyang, were awarded on the occasion.

Last year, Guangzhou, which is one of the four Internet games and cartoon bases on the mainland, issued a special regulation to guide the development of cartoon industry, Fan said.

"By introducing more funds and developing talents, Guangzhou's cartoon industrial output is expected to account for 5 percent of the city's GDP by 2010," Fan said.

Ao Yo-siang, a famed animator from Taiwan, said he is planning to set up a special animation and comic research foundation in Guangzhou to nurture young talents.

"Supplies of high quality cartoon products are far from enough to meet the market demand on the mainland, which still lacks excellent local animators," said Ao, who moved to Guangzhou four years ago.

According to Ao, the foundation will earmark an annual 250,000 yuan (US$32,051) to specially train 24 young aspirants.

"Since local government has worked out a series of preferential policies to support the cartoon industry, which, I believe, will see another rapid development in the years ahead," Ao told China Daily.

Ao, who also won the prize of "Best Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan cartoon offprint" in the third Golden Dragon Awards, has worked with the Guangzhou-based Comic Fans Culture Co Ltd to produce the Wuloom Family, one of the best sellers on the mainland in recent years.

(HK Edition 08/10/2007 page6)