China's cartoon industry is expected to produce 70,000 minutes
of animation this year, a sign the industry is developing
rapidly.
The country has produced more than 50,000 minutes of cartoons so
far this year, exceeding the total output last year of 47,200
minutes.
"The rapid development of China's cartoon industry is attracting
more and more international attention," said Jin Delong, an
official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and
Television (SARFT).
Earlier this year, the Sunchime Cartoon Group, a producer based
in Changsha, signed a contract with U.K.-based Eaglemoss
Publications, selling its publishing copyright on the Blue Cat, a
would-be Chinese rival of Mickey Mouse.
A popular syndicated program called Little Magic Dragon Club
began purchasing domestically-made animations this year after
previously offering a diet of purely foreign-made cartoons.
"The fast development of the industry can be attributed to the
governments favorable policies," Jin said.
The SARFT has banned foreign cartoons on prime-time television
from Sept. 1 in a bid to protect the domestic animation
industry.
Cartoons co-produced by domestic and foreign animation studios
need to obtain approval from the SARFT to air from 5:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m..
The SARFT has approved three cartoon channels since 2004 and the
Guangzhou-based Southern TV Station will launch a new cartoon
channel in September.
Broadcasters were told to limit use of foreign cartoons in 2000
at a time when Japanese animation dominated the market. In 2004,
the government stepped up controls, saying Chinese cartoons had to
account for at least 60 percent of the total shown in prime
time.
Foreign cartoons, especially from Japan, are hugely popular with
China's 250 million children, and the domestic animation studios
are struggling to compete with a flood of imports.
Industry analysts say that thousands of skilled animators work
in Chinese animation studios on projects subcontracted by the Walt
Disney Co., Warner Bros. and other Western or Japanese studios.
Analysts say Chinese cartoons lack originality and good
storytelling, always trying to teach something while what children
really want is entertainment rather than dull preaching.
(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2006)
