CATDOLL: The plot of eating Tang Monk's flesh was deleted from Journey to the West for export to foreign children

A Beijing company is considering promoting its latest work, The Story of Journey to the West, to the world. The company is familiar with the rating system of Western cartoons and has given it full consideration when making new films. For example, the cannibalism content in the novel Journey to the West - the monsters all want to eat Tang Monk's flesh in order to achieve immortality. "We deleted these plots because they are unacceptable if we want to target foreign children."

The drama has been broadcast on CCTV and, according to Mr Shan, has been praised by international organisations such as the BBC.

Last year, China's animation industry generated revenue of 100 billion yuan, according to People's Daily Online. That's about 10 times more than a decade ago. But Mr. Shan said some animation studios in mainland China are unable to enter overseas markets because their works don't comply with Western regulations.

Two years ago, CCTV criticised the domestic animated series "Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf" and "Boonie Bears" for using violence and vulgar language.

A relevant person in charge of Shanghai Xuandong Communication Co., Ltd. revealed that they are producing an animated series with a "Peking Opera Cat" as the protagonist, which aims to attract foreign buyers.

It is reported that in order to enhance its image globally, the company sends representatives to the Paris Comic Con every year.

However, although many animation studios are targeting overseas markets, there is still a lot of room for growth in China.

State departments have pledged to support the animation industry, encouraging innovation through subsidies and regular competitions. The government has given support to domestic animation companies, stipulating that prime time is reserved for domestic cartoons, while imported cartoons can only be broadcast at other times.

Mr. Shan said that compared with a few years ago, Chinese animation companies have become more focused on developing series products and licensed content. He said: "We believe that animation creation and derivative product development are both important and complementary to each other."

Li Huanyi, brand licensing manager at Guangdong Yongsheng Culture Communication Co., Ltd., said the company has invested more resources in the two areas than it did five years ago, the report said.

The company had been a victim of piracy, which prompted them to join forces with 30 law firms across the country to fight patent infringement.

"In some cases, the owners of small businesses actually don't know how to get the authorization," she said.