HGDCM has been working with the Changzhou Dinosaur Park on a 365-part serial called "The Adventures of Qi Qi and Ke Ke." It will start tonight on the children's channel of CCTV 7 and last for a year. It is about two dinosaurs, Qi Qi and Ke Ke.

Changzhou is seen as a pioneer of the Chinese animation industry.

"We have seen the potential of the animation industry and are viewing it as a new sector to help with the economic growth of the city," said Qu Liqin, vice-mayor of Changzhou. "We are co-operating with other Asian countries to improve the industry's prospects."

The city government has mapped out a blueprint for the sector and set up an animation industry base in December 2004.

Since then, over 50 enterprises and companies have settled there and have already produced more than 100 cartoons.

The Asian Animation Round (AAR) was founded in April this year and includes companies from China, the United States and the Republic of Korea.

"What we need to do is to train more people in creative work and do good marketing," said Park Heung-Soo, president of AAR and chairman of the Gangwon Information and Multimedia Corporation.

He added: "It might take 10 or more years for Asian countries to catch up with the United States and Japan, but we are confident that AAR will play an important role in promoting the development of the animation and cartoon industry in Asia and the rest of the world."

1

2

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)