A special committee has been formed to organize the conference, which has been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Culture. Preparatory work had begun, said Hu Changguo, deputy secretary-general of the organizing committee.

During the conference a host of activities will be staged, including diverse cartoon exhibitions, a contest for computer cartoon creations, and a caricature show.

The world conference, initiated in 1996 as the Asian cartoon summit, was originally like an academic event at which cartoon creation and publishing experiences were shared. It has developed into a global platform for cartoon and animation culture.

This year's conference will be the first held on the Chinese mainland.

(Shanghai Star March 10, 2003)