One can’t really consider this to be a reliable source, but the People’s Daily Online has reported that a group of regional government entities in northeastern China intend to create a “China-North Korea animation game service outsourcing base” in Dandong.

‘Hangzhou national animation game public service platform of Zhejiang Province in east China, and the city governments of Dandong and Kuandian county in Liaoning Province, northeast China, signed a cooperation agreement concerning the China-North Korea animation game service outsourcing base. It was signed on April 27 at the 2008 China (Hangzhou) Summit of the cultural Creativity Industry and Investment and Financing Fair, according to Xinhua Net.

The main reason to select Dandong city as the China-North Korea animation game service outsourcing base is aimed to draw North Korea’s animation game talents to Dandong. Xu Aiqiao, chairwoman of the Hangzhou national animation game public service platform limited, said that North Korea has become the global animation industry processing “plant”.’

The article also asserts that:

“It is learnt that there are 23 national original animation bases around China but no professional services outsourcing industry processing bases.”

I’m not sure, but I suspect that my old friends at Symbio Digital Entertainment might disagree with this statement.  I haven’t been in touch with John Ma and Col Stone for several months, but the last time that I heard from them, they had a very healthy game animation outsourcing business in China.

Technorati Tags:  China, China Outsourcing, Animation, Games, North Korea