China cracks down on soft porn, violence and materialism in viral micro dramas

China has ordered provincial authorities to crack down on materialistic, violent and sexualised content in locally produced micro dramas.

The campaign targets content that portrays soft pornography, "distorted views on marriage and relationships" and "ostentatious displays of wealth", said China's National Radio and Television Administration.

It comes as part of a larger effort by the Chinese government to guide social norms, including by promoting marriages and discouraging harmful ideologies from spreading online.

Micro dramas, which are serialised, made-for-mobile clips, have exploded in popularity globally in recent years, but have drawn criticism for their often sensationalist content.

Many shows feature wild, fast-moving plot lines, about topics ranging from secret billionaire husbands to forbidden romances, that are designed to keep viewers glued to their screens.

There has also been no shortage of shows portraying excessive violence or sexualised characters.

China's media administration said in a statement this week that the media campaign is one of "great significance for creating a healthy content ecosystem" for the micro drama industry.

The campaign will address key issues including soft pornography, "materialism and ostentatious displays of wealth" and "distorted views on marriage and relationships."

It will also target "feudalistic themes, violent revenge content, vulgar titles and copyright infringement", the statement read.

Local authorities are expected to conduct spot checks on the work of their jurisdiction's production firms, which will be required to promptly rectify any issues that surface, said the media regulator.

It added that the administration will carry out its own inspections and improve its regulations based on the findings from the campaign.

Micro dramas have grown into a multi-billion dollar industry for China, attracting large audiences worldwide, including in other parts of Asia and even Africa.

Producers in countries like South Korea and the United States have invested in creating their own micro drama studios to tap the booming sector.

Last year, the sector's growth prompted the Chinese government to order that high-profile and sensitive micro drama productions needed to be approved by authorities.

Major Chinese platforms like WeChat and Douyin - the country's version of TikTok - also led crackdowns to remove sexually suggestive material, and took aim at micro dramas that promoted harmful ideologies including the endorsement of youth misconduct, vigilantism or materialism.

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has taken steps to influence social attitudes in China, including by promoting healthy relationships while discouraging the flaunting of wealth as the country grapples with several economic challenges.

Xi has long advocated for a " common prosperity " policy, which aims to narrow China's widening wealth gap - a touchy political issue in the country.

In a separate crackdown, China's Cyberspace Administration launched a separate two-month campaign against online content that was deemed to take "pessimistic sentiments" too far.

That clampdown targeted narratives that promoted "world-weariness", or suggested that hard work was "useless", in a bid to create a more "civilised and rational online environment", according to the administration.

China has in recent years been dealing with economic challenges like unemployment and steep competition for jobs - all of which have given rise to anxiety among some of its youths.

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