Lee Chi Ching (R) and Taro Aso (L)
© AFP Yoshikazu Tsuno

TOKYO (AFP) - The Japanese government announced on Friday that the 43-year-old won the award for his work "Sun Zi's tactics" which portrays the life of the famous Chinese military strategist at the end of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

At an award ceremony, Lee said he felt honoured to have his work finally recognised and that manga can be "enjoyed by everyone regardless of age and nationality," according to Kyodo News.

"I wanted to convey through my work the horrors of war and the message that there should be no war," he said.

The comic has been translated into Japanese and published here.

Runner-up awards go to Kai, a 28-year-old from Hong Kong, Benny Wong Thong Hou, 30, from Malaysia, and Madeleine Rosca, 26, an Australian.

The creation of the International Manga Award was announced in May by Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso in an effort to promote Japanese culture.

"It is my hope that manga, through these works, will act as a bridge to the world," Aso, a known manga aficionado in political circles, said at the ceremony, according to Kyodo.

Comics and cartoons, referred to as "manga" in Japan, are hugely popular among both adults and children.

©AFP