China's micro-drama sector now counts over 800 million users, with the market value exceeding 100 billion yuan in 2025. Between January and August this year, 430,000 new micro-dramas were released — 13 times the total for the entire previous year — and over 90% of these were produced with AI assistance.
At a State Council Information Office press conference on September 17, Wang Xiaoliang, Director of the Network Audiovisual Program Management Department of the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), disclosed these figures. He noted that the national "15th Five-Year Plan" outline has for the first time designated micro-dramas as a new cultural industry format to be vigorously developed, calling it both a historic opportunity and a significant responsibility. Quoting the poetic line "Though moss flowers are as small as rice grains, they still bloom with the splendor of peonies," Wang described this as a vivid reflection of the industry's current healthy growth. He pledged that authorities will continue to promote prosperity while strengthening regulation, ensuring more "moss flowers" shine with "peony-like" brilliance and continue to enrich the audience's viewing experience.
He Biao, NRTA spokesperson and Deputy Director, stated at the same briefing that Chinese micro-dramas have gained widespread popularity across more than 200 countries and regions, capturing over 80% of the overseas micro-drama market share. The international expansion of China's broadcasting and audiovisual sector is evolving from simple content distribution to a coordinated model encompassing "content + platform + technology + operations," establishing a complete global industry chain. He emphasized that the sector will seize this momentum to further enhance its international communication capabilities and strengthen the influence of Chinese culture abroad.
On September 1, the highly anticipated "Measures for the Administration of Micro-Drama Development" officially took effect. A unified logo for the industry, inspired by the "moss flower" theme, was also launched concurrently. With dedicated regulations and branding now in place, micro-dramas have entered a new phase of both robust growth and standardized governance.
Addressing AI-generated micro-dramas, Wang Xiaoliang acknowledged that artificial intelligence technology has been widely adopted in content creation. While AI opens new possibilities for innovative expression, cost reduction, and improved efficiency, it also introduces fresh challenges related to content quality and rights protection — challenges that regulators must confront directly. He emphasized that live-action dramas remain the backbone of premium content creation and deserve strong support. The NRTA is implementing a "Premium Micro-Drama Creation and Distribution Plan," guiding platforms to establish dedicated zones for live-action productions and offering substantial financial incentives so that quality works can achieve both market success and reasonable returns.
Regarding AI-produced dramas, which are developing rapidly and now constitute a significant share of total output, Wang stated that the approach balances encouraging innovation with safeguarding fundamental principles. AI-generated content must carry clear labeling, and platforms are required to strictly enforce authorization protocols for personal likenesses and voice usage, with comprehensive oversight at every stage of production.
"Ultimately, AI is a tool, and humans remain the core of creative authorship," he said. The faster the micro-drama industry grows, the more critical it becomes to maintain rigorous content standards. Effective governance is the key to achieving this. Since the start of the year, the NRTA has adopted a problem-oriented approach, targeting harmful and vulgar material, content detrimental to minors, and copyright infringement. A total of 68,000 non-compliant micro-dramas have been removed from the internet, and platforms have been directed to handle over 1,200 accounts that violated regulations — with AI-generated content accounting for more than 90% of these enforcement actions.
Wang stressed that platforms bear primary responsibility for content oversight, and future efforts will continue to intensify this accountability to purify the industry's ecosystem. Regulation exists to support better development, he explained. The goal is to drive the micro-drama sector toward higher quality, broader public participation, and stronger international presence. Authorities will harness the new engine provided by AI technology while consolidating the industry's leading position in global markets.
In a related development, policy efforts are intensifying to counter declining investment. Over the past month, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has convened multiple coordination meetings focusing on major infrastructure networks ("six networks"), major construction projects, national investment promotion, and projects outlined in the "15th Five-Year Plan" guidelines. These efforts aim to accelerate the groundbreaking of new projects and stabilize the downward trend in investment. To further stimulate private investment, the NDRC's Private Economy Bureau recently held symposiums with private enterprises and industry associations, presenting 36 investment projects in transportation, logistics, water conservancy, and energy. These projects involve a total projected investment of 61.4 billion yuan, with plans to attract 15.6 billion yuan in private capital, spanning railways, warehousing, wind power, energy storage, charging infrastructure, and water diversion works.
Wang Qing, Chief Macro Analyst at Golden Credit Rating, commented that with accelerated fiscal spending and the full deployment of government bond funds — particularly the complete rollout of the 800 billion yuan new policy-based financial instruments — the pace of major infrastructure and "six networks" projects will quicken. This is expected to push infrastructure investment growth back into positive territory in the coming period, serving as a key manifestation of stronger counter-cyclical adjustments and a primary driver for stabilizing investment growth this year.
As part of ongoing promotional activities, the CBN (China Business Network) membership day is currently underway, offering a special weekly card priced at 19.8 yuan (originally 39 yuan), allowing members to access event interpretation features for insights into relevant sectors and popular investment targets.