SHANGHAI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At the ongoing China International Cartoon and Game Expo in Shanghai, high-tech animation products have caught the eye.

Co-hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Shanghai government, the expo has attracted over 350 companies from home and abroad.

A series of forums, designer shows and a special exhibition themed "Belt and Road" have been held during the five-day event, which concludes on Monday.

The latest comic books, cartoons, video games, related tourism services and publishing, and interactive projects of technology have been shown at the expo.

Equipped with the latest singing voice synthesizer technology, virtual idol Luo Tianyi has been "invited" to the expo to interact with visitors.

China's animation industry has grown steadily in recent years, with the gross output value in 2017 reaching over 160 billion yuan (24 billion U.S. dollars).

"The animation industry has become one of the most vigorous and [high] potential industries among the cultural industries," said Zhang Xu, vice minister of culture and tourism. "It is now playing an increasingly important role in our social and economic development," Zhang said.

Sun Xiangjuan, who used to work in animation, took her child to the expo.

"My kid loves painting, and I think these hobbies may actually make her a cartoonist in the future," Sun said. "As long as we guide our kid appropriately, cartoons can have positive effects on them."