China Targets Micro Dramas with New Campaign Against Undesirable Content and Materialism
China’s National Radio and Television Administration has directed provincial authorities to scrutinise locally produced micro dramas for content promoting materialism, violence, and sexualisation. The campaign specifically targets what the administration describes as soft pornography, “distorted views on marriage and relationships”, and “ostentatious displays of wealth”.
Micro dramas, brief serialised videos designed for mobile consumption, have achieved global popularity, yet have consistently faced criticism for their sensationalist narratives. These productions often feature rapid plot developments, encompassing themes from clandestine billionaires to forbidden romantic encounters, engineered to maximise viewer engagement. Instances of excessive violence and overtly sexualised characters are also prevalent.
The media administration stated the initiative is of “great significance for creating a healthy content ecosystem” within the micro drama sector. Beyond soft pornography and materialism, the campaign will address “feudalistic themes, violent revenge content, vulgar titles, and copyright infringement”.
Local authorities are mandated to conduct spot checks on production firms within their jurisdictions, requiring prompt rectification of any identified issues. The administration also confirmed it would conduct its own inspections and refine regulations based on the campaign’s findings. This intervention arrives as the micro drama industry has burgeoned into a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise, attracting significant investment from international producers.
Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has increasingly sought to shape social attitudes, advocating for “healthy relationships” and discouraging wealth ostentation, aligning with the “common prosperity” policy aimed at narrowing the country’s growing wealth gap. Major Chinese platforms like WeChat and Douyin previously undertook their own crackdowns, removing sexually suggestive material and content endorsing youth misconduct or vigilantism.
Separately, China’s Cyberspace Administration launched a two-month campaign against online content expressing “pessimistic sentiments”, specifically targeting narratives that promote “world-weariness” or suggest that hard work is “useless”, with the stated aim of fostering a more “civilised and rational online environment”. These actions occur as China navigates economic challenges, including unemployment and intense job competition, which have contributed to anxiety among some younger generations.
