In recent years, a wave of “micro short dramas” led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been rapidly expanding globally. This new form of audiovisual content, characterized by its fast pace, strong plots, and low threshold, is creating a frenzy in North America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, among other regions. Experts warn that micro short dramas are gradually becoming an important tool for CCP’s cultural propaganda and ideological infiltration across borders.
According to data from the market research firm Sensor Tower, as of March this year, Chinese companies have deployed micro short drama applications overseas with nearly 950 million downloads globally. Among them, ReelShort and DramaBox have become representative apps for international expansion.
ReelShort, under the Chinese online group Chinese Online, focuses on providing short dramas of less than 2 minutes per episode. One of its most popular drama series, “The Dual Life of a Billionaire Husband,” has accumulated over 4 billion views. DramaBox, operated by Dianzhong Technology, translates and dubs domestic short dramas for overseas distribution in a “assembly line” fashion.
These short drama platforms promote exaggerated plots of revenge, tragic love, and counterattacks, along with “tasteless” narratives, marketing a certain emotional “refreshing feeling,” rapidly accumulating a large user base in overseas regions like North America.
The popularity of micro short dramas does not stem solely from their novelty. The exaggerated suspenseful plots, strong visuals, and emotional tension, coupled with algorithmic recommendations, cater to the viewing habits of the short attention span era.
Viewers do not need to ponder or wait; they can simply open the app and dive into episodes filled with dramatic twists and overbearing tycoons. These ultra-short video dramas, like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, belong to a “seamless, immersive” content format.
It is estimated that the production cost of these short dramas falls roughly between $200,000 to $300,000 per episode, which is negligible compared to the multi-million dollar budgets of American series. Some micro short dramas are filmed in Chinese and dubbed in English, while there are also works directly produced in English in the UK and the US.
London producer Lishan Shan established a company to produce micro short dramas in early 2024, producing 15 series for multiple platforms. She stated that an average 40 to 50 episode series takes about 7 to 10 days to film, with British actors and a crew composed of both Chinese and British staff.
In China, the production speed of micro short dramas is even faster. According to a report by The Paper, up to 100 series could be shot in a week. Data from the China Internet Audiovisual Program Service Association shows that in 2024, China produced over 30,000 micro short dramas, with a total revenue of 50.4 billion RMB (approximately 7 billion USD), exceeding the 42.5 billion RMB box office of Chinese films in the same year.
In April 2025, in the US alone, downloads of micro short drama apps surpassed 10 million, a 150% year-on-year growth, with active users increasing by 300%, significantly impacting and altering the American entertainment and film industry, drawing attention from professionals in the field.
TikTok video blogger Peng Kaili mentioned that these seemingly “tacky” plots are actually highly popular overseas. She cited the example of the controversial short drama “Trump Falls in Love with the White House janitor” that went viral on overseas platforms, even though it was later debunked as fake news, with no truth to the US President falling in love with a janitor. Yet, the exaggerated and dramatic storyline still garnered massive traffic, indicating its appeal.
Peng Kaili noted that these works are often seen as “super-enhanced versions of soap operas” – not just a plot twist per episode, but setting up suspense every minute, keeping viewers hooked.
Senior researcher and economist Alicia García-Herrero from the Brussels think tank Bruegel admitted that micro short dramas are “easy to access, convenient for mobile viewing, fast-paced, and addictive.”
While micro short dramas are rapidly gaining popularity in overseas markets, they face strict scrutiny within China.
In recent years, the CCP has intensified control over such content, taking down tens of thousands of short dramas deemed “vulgar and harmful” within a year, totaling over 1.7 million series. Since June 2024, a tiered classification and review system has been implemented. Starting from February this year, micro short dramas without proper licensing or registration numbers are not allowed to be published.
At the same time, authorities are actively supporting short drama competitions centered on “red culture tourism” and intangible cultural heritage themes. In 2024, cultural tourism departments in various regions launched the “Travel with Micro Short Dramas” activity, promoting red landmarks through dramatized presentations.
In August this year, the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television held an international micro short drama competition, aiming to collect works that “promote the main theme and spread positive energy.”
Researcher Shen Mingshi from the Taiwan Institute for National Defense and Security analyzed that this “strict control domestically, but exporting externally” contradiction is not surprising. He stated that although micro short dramas may have ludicrous storylines, their concise format makes them easy channels for external “brainwashing or propaganda.”
“With just one or two minutes of content, viewers often do not verify the authenticity, but it is already deeply imprinted in their minds,” he straightforwardly remarked, emphasizing that the CCP has regarded micro short dramas as a crucial tool for united front propaganda.
Regarding the domestic situation in China, host of “Insight Rapid Review” Tang Jingyuan, in an interview with the Epoch Times, bluntly pointed out that the CCP’s control over short dramas stems from its fear of the free flow of information. “Any popular media format may reflect content that the CCP does not want the public to know.”
He highlighted that even highly entertaining plots might convey metaphors and sentiments of dissatisfaction among the public, thus warranting control.
Canadian commentator and chief editor of “China Spring” Sheng Xue added that the CCP’s considerations extend beyond ideology to include the need for stability. “Micro short dramas update quickly, have a broad audience, and any satire or discontent expressed in them can quickly become a social spark.” Therefore, explicit content like pornography, violence, or revenge falls under scrutiny.
Researcher Gong Xiangsheng from the National Defense Security Institute analyzed from a propaganda perspective: short dramas have become a new channel for the CCP to attract young audiences, yet they are also placed under strict control to prevent “entertaining plots” from evolving into tools for mocking the government.
He explained to an Epoch Times reporter that so-called “intangible heritage” or red-themed dramas essentially package nationalism as entertainment to reinforce domestic support for the regime.
With official support, red culture tourism and intangible heritage short dramas are gradually being endowed with more political functions. Tang Jingyuan pointed out that these productions serve as significant tools for the CCP to “brainwash the ignorant and rewrite history.” “They can incite anti-American or anti-Japanese sentiments or shape the positive image of the CCP, concealing the regime’s past atrocities.”
Sheng Xue expressed concern that although red short dramas have limited effects on inspiring nationalism among young people, they can “subtly maintain the red narrative, combining political education with cultural consumption.”
Gong Xiangsheng went further, stating that with generational changes, traditional dramatic propaganda is no longer sufficient to attract young people, thus short dramas have become an alternative. “Once main theme propaganda shifts towards short dramas, it signifies that official control will intensify to prevent content from getting out of hand.”
As for the continuous success of micro short dramas overseas?
Tang Jingyuan believes that the unique environment on the Chinese mainland contributes to the popularity of short dramas, but replicating that success overseas might prove challenging.
He stated that the mainland’s internet is essentially a closed intranet, one that the CCP has long utilized for brainwashing the public, distorting the ideological state of mainland residents. Therefore, content adored in the mainland might not resonate as strongly with audiences abroad due to significant differences in values.
Sheng Xue analyzed that the “refreshing feeling” narrative of micro short dramas that resonates in the mainland fundamentally serves as a “virtual compensation for societal repression and class rigidity.”
She pointed out that while overseas audiences seek light, stress-relieving entertainment culture, they lean more towards comedies, fantasies, or urban themes. “If only relying on homogenized routines, it might lead to aesthetic fatigue,” she noted, emphasizing that the overseas market needs to adapt to local cultural contexts to sustain traffic.
At an astonishing speed, micro short dramas are capturing the screens of global audiences’ mobile phones. Will they pose a challenge to streaming platforms like Netflix or traditional Hollywood films? Industry experts generally believe they will not, but caution is warranted as they tread the line between entertainment culture and propaganda.
Tang Jingyuan speculated that the CCP is likely to employ specialized teams to produce short dramas tailored for foreign audiences, influencing public opinion and government policies. “Whether they can succeed is one thing, but they will certainly try.”
Sheng Xue warned that with the pervasiveness of AI-generated content, micro short dramas could become tools for manufacturing false issues or conveying political implications. “Past cases of false short dramas going viral indicate their potential and risks.”
Shen Mingshi cautioned that while short dramas may seem absurd, when a large amount of “positive energy” messages are continuously disseminated, they will displace original creative works, becoming a new vehicle for political propaganda.
“If directly propagating positive content, no one would watch. But through camouflage, they can seize the high ground of public opinion,” Shen Mingshi stated emphatically.