Chinese authorities have rolled out targeted policies to support the micro drama sector recently, aiming to foster industry growth through stronger cultivation, artificial intelligence (AI) technology integration, and high-quality content creation. Industry observers noted that the industry is transitioning from a quantity-driven model to a quality-oriented one, with policy support, tech empowerment injecting fresh momentum.

On Wednesday, Zhengzhou, capital of Central China's Henan Province, published its local 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) listing micro dramas as a priority sector. The city plans to develop an internet audiovisual industrial park, promote clustered industry development of micro dramas, and build itself into China's "micro drama capital," and push Chinese micro dramas onto the global stage.

Shanghai on Tuesday released several measures on accelerating AI-empowered high-quality development of micro dramas. The policy aims to build an "AI + micro drama" technology support system, enhance the supply of computing power, algorithms, and data resources, and promote the creation of high-quality script and premium content, according to a release by the Shanghai municipal government.

Also on Tuesday, China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) issued an implementation plan for the micro drama quality creation and dissemination program.

The plan seeks to establish a comprehensive support system by the end of 2026, improve full-process management, and foster an optimized industry ecosystem. It targets the release of 1,000 exemplary high-quality micro dramas by the end of 2026.

Industry observers said that the China and localities are aiming to shift the micro drama industry from rapid expansion to high-quality development.

"These policies are guiding the sector away from 'chasing traffic' toward 'creating value,' while encouraging cross-sector integration with tourism, legal education, science popularization, and technology," Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst at iMedia Research, told the Global Times.

Micro dramas have been incorporated as a new cultural format in China's national 15th Five-Year Plan, meaning being included in national planning for the first time, marking a major policy milestone and ushering in an unprecedented strategic development period for the industry.

"The premiumization of micro dramas represented a content upgrade and industrial transformation that respects users' emotional and cognitive needs. AI technology is further empowering the sector by reducing production costs and accelerating content innovation," said Zhang.

Lu Xiangao, vice president of the China Media Culture Promotion Association, noted, as quoted by media, that micro dramas are evolving from fast-produced traffic-driven content into an important narrative form with independent aesthetic value that reflects the spirit of the times and integrates deeply into social and cultural life.

Analysts believe the domestic micro drama market is maturing and entering a phase that requires refined management and higher creative standards.

On April 15, the NRTA released the first batch of recommended titles for the "micro drama +" action plan during the China Internet Audio and Video Convention 2026. The recommended works cover seven major categories: cultural tourism, legal education, science popularization, classics, intangible cultural heritage, sports, and AIGC (AI-generated content).

This initiative set benchmarks and charted the course for the industry, injecting strong momentum into the high-quality development of online literature and art in the new era.

The latest data showed that China's micro drama user base has exceeded 700 million, and the market size surpassed 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) in 2025, doubling from the previous year, according to the People's Daily.

According to a report released at the China Internet Audio and Video Convention 2026, in 2025, driven by local micro drama industry policies and other factors, new first-tier cities recorded the most significant increase in the number of enterprises operating in the sector.