7th China international cartoon festival opens in Guangzhou

Poster for the seventh China international cartoon festival

The seventh China international cartoon festival has opened in the southern city of Guangzhou. One of the highlights of the event is the presence of many globally well-known brands that are seeking licensing partners in China.

Fatina Dreams is a well-known cartoon brand in Europe, and its cartoon products are very popular among children. As China's cartoon industry is on the rise, the company is eager to license its brand to explore the Chinese market.

Other global brands want to seek Chinese partners to boost innovation and create new cartoon figures and stories.

"Chinese consumers have their own likes and dislikes, we want to cooperate with Chinese cartoon makers to create new cartoon figures and products based on Chinese culture," said Toni Qiu, head of licensing of Hasbro Asia Pacific.

Many well-known cartoons inspire all sorts of products, from t-shirts and dolls to musicals. But some Chinese cartoons rarely inspire anything more than basic stuffed toys. So licensing and cooperation is expected to boost innovation and help Chinese cartoon-makers create their own brands.