China has decided to, starting this year, allocate 8 million yuan (US$964,000) for making children's movies, and another 5 million (US$602,500) for producing children's cartoons, a top official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) told Xinhua in Hangzhou Monday.

Zhang Pimin, deputy director of the SARFT's Film Department, made the remarks at the China International Children's Film Festival held in Hengdian, east China's Zhejiang Province.

"China has a huge market for children's movies, since it has over 300 million children," Zhang said. "The central government will probably increase the financial support in the future as the market expands and producers' enthusiasm grows."

The SARFT is also mulling opening a special cinema circuit for kids, Tong Gang, director of the SARFT's Film Department, told Xinhua.

In addition, the SARFT has ordered all provincial-level TV stations to launch a special channel catering for children by the end of 2006.

The TV stations are required to produce and broadcast superb cartoons, movies, TV plays, educational programs, entertainment programs, and feature programs suitable for young viewers on the new channel, the SARFT said, calling the move "a big event" that will bring benefits to the coming generations.

According to the three-step plan, one-third of China's provincial TV stations are ordered to launch their children's channel by the end of this year.

China Central Television Station (CCTV), the country's largest state broadcaster, launched a special program catering for young people on Dec. 28, 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2004)