Micro-short videos new culture ambassadors

Editor's note: The value of the overseas market for micro-short dramas — a form of entertainment presented through the mobile internet thanks to China's mobile internet ecosystem — is expected to reach $6 billion to $9 billion this year. China Radio International spoke to Si Ruo, a professor of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, on the reasons behind the video form's overseas success. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

Over the past decades, Chinese TV series, such as costume and family-themed dramas, found receptive audiences overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia. With micro-short dramas, however, the content has traversed these traditional markets to reach even North America, marking a clear shift from the earlier pattern dominated by long-form television and web dramas. This broader spread is a significant step forward in China's global content distribution.

In North America, platforms such as ReelShort develop content by combining China's micro-short drama production experience with locally relevant themes and casting. This approach has been well received by audiences.

Micro-short dramas produced by these new platforms are localized at the production stage itself. Even when the story or concept originates from Chinese online literature, they are adapted and repackaged to align with Western cultural norms.

Years of exposure to subscription services have also fostered a strong willingness among overseas viewers to pay for good content. As a result, Chinese micro-short dramas have achieved not only wide visibility overseas but also solid financial returns.

Notably, a large section of the audience consists of young viewers. Through cross-cultural interaction, these productions help shape more diverse and influential cultural expressions, contributing to a more multidimensional image of China and gradually turning cultural exposure into cultural recognition.

The audience feedback also influences creators. The first step is to attract stable users through localized and relatable storytelling and the next is to subtly incorporate higher-quality themes, including elements of traditional Chinese culture and stories of modern development.

Technological advances, especially through content generated by artificial intelligence, are further accelerating the sector's growth. New formats are expanding rapidly, offering high production efficiency and cost advantages. AI tools help diversify content categories and maximize global reach.

AI-assisted scripting, story selection and adaptation from online novels can improve both productivity and narrative quality. At the production level, AI-supported animation and hybrid formats can reduce costs while increasing output.

More broadly, the globalization of Chinese culture is moving in more diversified and far-reaching directions. Micro-short dramas are only one part of a larger trend that also includes animation, games and designer toys, all of which have achieved notable success overseas in recent years.

China's high-standard opening-up raises higher requirements for the country's international communications capacity and cross-industry coordination in cultural production.

Foreigners' interest in China is increasingly tied to real-life connections. For many overseas audiences, Chinese stories are no longer just distant narratives on a screen. They are linked to potential travel, food, study, business and consumption experiences in China itself. As more people try to understand China and share those experiences with others, a reinforcing cycle emerges: exposure to Chinese content leads to curiosity and visits, which in turn deepen understanding and further spread Chinese culture.

This applies to not just the micro-short drama sector alone, but a comprehensive undertaking that brings together culture, technology, lifestyle, services and other fields into an integrated global engagement planning.