"We express our deep condolences for the death of Akira Toriyama and express our sincere condolences to his family," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular news conference on Friday.

"Mr Toriyama is a famous manga artist, and his works are also very popular in China. I noticed that many Chinese netizens also expressed condolences for his death.

"We expect and believe that more people of insight in Japan will actively participate in Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges and the cause of friendship between the two countries," Mao said.

The announcement posted on the Dragon Ball official site stated: "It's our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm … We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come."

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/08/WS65eaed95a31082fc043bb943.html