At a State Council Information Office press conference on September 17th, held under the "15th Five-Year Plan" series theme, officials detailed plans for advancing high-quality development in broadcasting and online audiovisual content. Wang Xiaoliang, Director of the Network Audiovisual Program Management Department at the National Radio and Television Administration, highlighted the immense popularity of micro-dramas, noting that their user base in China has surpassed 800 million and the market size exceeded 100 billion yuan in 2025.

Quoting the Qing Dynasty poet Yuan Mei's line, "Moss flowers, though small as rice grains, also bloom with the splendor of peonies," Wang used it as a metaphor for the current vibrant state of the micro-drama industry. He drew attention to the "Micro-Drama Development Management Measures" that took effect on September 1st, which, along with the newly launched "Moss Flower Mark" logo, marks a new phase of regulated growth and prosperity for the sector.

The Director noted the explosive growth of the industry, pointing out that 430,000 micro-dramas were released in the first eight months of this year, a 13-fold increase compared to the entire previous year. Artificial intelligence-generated content now accounts for over 90% of these productions. While AI opens avenues for creative expression and cost reduction, it also presents challenges concerning content quality and rights protection. Wang stated the administration's clear position in response: "Live-action dramas are the main force for creating premium content, and we will strongly support them."

This support will involve implementing the "Premium Micro-Drama Creation and Dissemination Plan," guiding platforms to establish dedicated live-action drama sections, and providing substantial financial incentives to ensure excellent works achieve market success and returns. Regarding AI-driven dramas, the approach balances encouraging innovation with upholding bottom lines, requiring clear content labeling and strict platform adherence to regulations on portrait and voice rights.

Wang emphasized that governance is key to quality control, with efforts focused on removing harmful, vulgar, child-inappropriate, and infringing content. As a result, 68,000 non-compliant micro-dramas have been removed from the internet, and over 1,200 accounts have been penalized, with more than 90% of these actions involving AI-generated content. The administration will continue to strengthen platform responsibilities to purify the industry ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the strategy aims to promote the refinement, popularization, and internationalization of micro-dramas. This involves the "Five Batch Projects" to foster a thousand excellent works annually on themes like mainstream values and regional culture; encouraging broader participation, as exemplified by farmers in Qingdao, Shandong; and leveraging AI to maintain a leading edge in global exports. As the "15th Five-Year Plan" outlines include micro-dramas as a key new cultural industry for the first time, the administration vows to balance growth with regulation, helping more "moss flowers" bloom with the radiance of "peonies."