Hong Kong cartoonist Lee Chi Ching, with his work Sun Zi's Tactics, won the top prize of the first Japan's International Manga Award, Japanese Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Lee's works was chosen from some 140 cartoon works from over twenty countries, a press release said, adding that another China' s Hong Kong cartoon artist KAI, was awarded Encouragement Award together with Malaysian Benny Wong Thong Hou and Australian Madeleine Rosa.

Established in May by Japanese foreign ministry, the manga award is aimed to honor overseas manga artists and to promote Japan's diplomacy through pop culture.

Japanese foreign minister Taro Aso is a member of the first International Manga Award executive committee. Lee, 43, began drawing comics and graphic novels in 1981. He is the first cartoonist from China's Hong Kong to have his work published in Japan. He specialized in historical graphic novels.

(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2007)