Hong Kong cartoonist Lee Chi Ching, with his work Sun Zi's
Tactics, won the top prize of the first Japan's International
Manga Award, Japanese Foreign Ministry said Friday.
Lee's works was chosen from some 140 cartoon works from over
twenty countries, a press release said, adding that another China'
s Hong Kong cartoon artist KAI, was awarded Encouragement Award
together with Malaysian Benny Wong Thong Hou and Australian
Madeleine Rosa.
Established in May by Japanese foreign ministry, the manga award
is aimed to honor overseas manga artists and to promote Japan's
diplomacy through pop culture.
Japanese foreign minister Taro Aso is a member of the first
International Manga Award executive committee. Lee, 43, began
drawing comics and graphic novels in 1981. He is the first
cartoonist from China's Hong Kong to have his work published in
Japan. He specialized in historical graphic novels.
(Xinhua News Agency June 29, 2007)