But Gao Changli, the director of the publicity department with the administration, sees this as a blessing in disguise as it shows that Chinese animators are shifting from the pursuit of quantity to focus on quality.

And Chinese animators are now producing more quality works, says Gao at the 14th China International Cartoon& Animation Festival, which ended earlier this month.

Gao says the Chinese animation industry is now encouraging local talent to excel, and he hopes Chinese illustrators and animators will reciprocate.

In mid-April, an annual report released by the Beijing-based researcher Entgroup shows that the gross output of China's comic and animation industries was worth 150 billion yuan ($23.7 billion), accounting for 24 percent of the country's 630-billion-yuan culture and entertainment industries.

Wu, now the chairman of Zoland Animation, is among those who are part of China's burgeoning animation industry. She says the company has so far distributed more than 8,000 hours of animated content to 93 countries and regions, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, South Korea and Russia.

Magic Eye, one of Zoland's most popular animated franchises, which was sold to just Singapore in 2006, is now reaching the screens of nearly 80 countries and regions worldwide.

The 500-episode animated series about an alien boy's adventures on Earth also has a sequel series Magic Eye is Back, which has 104 episodes.