Cartoon fair opens in N China city

An international cartoon fair opened on Saturday in Shijiazhuang, capital of north China's Hebei Province, attracting more than 200 cartoon producers and thousands of fans. Eleven contracts with a total value of 6.49 billion yuan (more than 1 billion U.S. dollars) will be signed during the 7th China Shijiazhuang International Cartoon Fair, which will last until Wednesday, organizers said. Initiated in 2006, the annual event has so far witnessed the signing of 66 contracts with a total value of 12.7 billion yuan. More than 5 million people have visited previous events, according to organizers. Managing Director of VUE Group Alan Lindsay, from Australia, said this was the first time that he has been to the cartoon fair in Shijiazhuang, and he hopes to cooperate with Chinese cartoon makers to create impressive cartoon films.