Ron Chu, a famous Taiwan cartoonist, stressed the importance of people's creativity at the CICAF news conference in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on April 25. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Additional highlights will be provided by famed cartoonists and their works, Zhuo said. Ron Chu, a master cartoonist from Taiwan, will display a series of works featuring Hangzhou at the festival. Murong Yindao, a mainland cartoonist, will bring his most popular canine character, Daodao, to visitors of CICAF in a special exhibition.

The "Golden Monkey King Award", a prestigious honor aimed to encourage originality and excellence in cartoon and animation products, will appraise and elect outstanding works embodying the future structural transformations and upgrades of Chinese animation.

The press conference witnessed the attention to exchanges and cooperation within China's animation industry. Ralph Sosa, animator and director known for his work on The Simpsons, extended his appreciation of the industry in China. Kristian Kender from MIPTV (Marché International des Programmes de Communication), an annual TV trade show which will take place in Hangzhou in May this year, expressed his love for the city, saying Hangzhou is one of most creative cities in China.

In the past year, the cultural and creative industry in Hangzhou has been lifted to new heights. With creative industries accounting for 23 percent of the city's total GDP in 2016, a group of leading companies, such as Zhongnan Animation and Electronic Soul, have emerged to play increasingly active roles in promoting the industry's development.