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Alice Li

China’s booming micro-drama sector is facing intensifying regulatory scrutiny, as Beijing launches a two-month campaign to crack down on “harmful, lowbrow and pirated” content in the industry.
The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said the clampdown would target eight types of content, including material harmful to children, sexually suggestive scenes, wealth-flaunting, “distorted” views on marriage and relationships, superstitions, violent revenge, sensationalist titles and copyright violations.
The aim is to “standardise the creation and dissemination of short dramas and foster a healthier industry environment”, the body announced on Wednesday.
Micro dramas – also known as short dramas or vertical dramas – are fast-paced scripted shows divided into dozens of episodes that typically last just a few minutes.
Often shot in vertical format, the dramas have exploded in popularity in China over the past few years, with the industry’s revenues soaring from less than 1 billion yuan (US$148 million) in 2020 to 100 billion yuan in 2025, according to a report by Peking University’s National School of Development.
The industry has also found success overseas, with Chinese-backed platforms such as ReelShort emerging as early leaders and attracting massive audiences for their hit productions.


But micro dramas have increasingly attracted criticism for their sensationalist content, with shows packed with brooding billionaire husbands, evil stepmothers plotting revenge and ill-fated werewolf romances.
Beijing has already taken several steps to tighten supervision of the industry. Earlier this year, the NRTA moved to ban productions from using child actors in adult roles themed around revenge, bullying and “overbearing CEOs”.
In November, the administration launched a campaign targeting animated micro dramas, which focused on eliminating “harmful” content themed around vigilante violence, extreme revenge and “distorted” views of relationships, Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper reported.
The government is also trying to create a system to support the development of high-quality micro dramas.
In late May, the NRTA launched an initiative designed to foster the release of 1,000 stand-out micro dramas by the end of 2026, which called on the industry to reject a “traffic-first” mindset and focus on the social value of their productions.


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China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content


China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content.


China takes aim at micro dramas promoting ‘wealth-flaunting’, ‘distorted views’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content

China has launched a two-month campaign to clean up its massive micro drama industry, targeting violent, sexual and ‘wealth-flaunting’ content