Technology shines at China's cartoon and animation festival, offers interactive experiences

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Technology is taking the center stage at the ongoing 21st China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) in Hangzhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province, offering visitors lively and engaging experiences.   The five-day event, which opened on Thursday, features top Chinese cultural IPs and the fusion of animation and technology, and delivers unique and immersive experiences for global visitors.   A special "tech zone" has been established at the premises of the festival this year, inviting visitors to try out AI, VR, AR and various cutting-edge technologies.   At the "tech zone", an AI image rendering system attracts significant interest. The system can generate a personalized animated image of users just 20 seconds after capturing their photo, showcasing remarkably similar traits, including even hairstyles.   In an interview with China Central Television, the head of the technology company developing the system noted that their IP images can also showcase dynamic effects, saying that these technologies are now commercially available.   "We do tailored research and development focused on animation characters in the initial stages. Compared with the cost of using traditional methods, we have reduced the overall costs by 60 to 70 percent," said Qian Chengzhi, head of the technology company.

Another popular product at the "tech zone" is an animation IP toy equipped with a large model system enabling it to interact and communicate with the user, making it a favorite among children.

"They will move once you touch them. These little animals are so cute," said a boy.

"It is so cute and looks just like a real cat. It moves and its eyes blink. I want to play with it every day," said another child visitor, a little girl.   The CICAF has become one of China's largest and most influential animation showcases, attracting over 18 million visitors and 21,000 companies from around the world to date.  

Technology shines at China's cartoon and animation festival, offers interactive experiences

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle