Through the global expansion of micro dramas, video games and online literature, Chinese digital works have become part of their daily entertainment for many international audiences.

Chinese micro-drama platforms have achieved considerable reach, with over 300 apps accumulating more than 470 million downloads worldwide across more than 200 countries and regions, according to the National Radio and Television Administration.

One prominent example is ReelShort, a micro-drama platform under Crazy Maple Studio. Its minute-long episodes, featuring intense plot twists and rapid story development, have quickly gained a large following -- and are mostly watched on smart devices.

"Last year we explored new formats by localizing Chinese micro dramas for global distribution and co-producing content with Hollywood crews. Now, we have hundreds of staff locally," said Nan Yapeng, vice president of Crazy Maple Studio.

The gaming sector has seen similar breakthroughs. "Black Myth: Wukong," a 3A video game with cutting-edge graphics, has captivated global players, while established gaming hits like "Genshin Impact" and "Honkai: Star Rail" continue to rank among the top downloaded items in over 100 countries and regions.

Data from the China Audio-video and Digital Publishing Association (CADPA) show that China's gaming industry reported overseas revenue of 18.56 billion U.S. dollars in 2024 -- up 13.39 percent compared with the previous year.

Games like "Genshin Impact" and "Black Myth: Wukong" demonstrate China's cultural innovation by skillfully blending traditional heritage with global fantasy elements, said Xue Ke, deputy dean of USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

This creative fusion of ancient stories and interactive experiences not only resonates worldwide but also maintains authentic Chinese roots, Xue added.

Recognition also extends to online literature. In November 2024, the British Library expanded its Chinese collection by adding 10 online novels by Chinese authors, including "Lord of the Mysteries," "Soul Land" and "The Joy of Life." This library first added Chinese online literature to its collection in 2022.

In 2023, total revenue of China's online literature industry in the overseas market amounted to 4.35 billion yuan (about 606 million U.S. dollars), a 7.06 percent year-on-year increase, according to a report from the CADPA.

Notably, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) also brings new opportunities for the global expansion of China's digital content.

WebNovel, an online reading platform, added over 2,000 AI-translated works in 2024 alone, while gaming giant miHoYo has filed hundreds of patents in AI, cloud gaming and other technologies, achieving procedural content production for 3D rendering.

"AI technology will help boost the global expansion of Chinese culture, transforming content exports from premium offerings to large-scale distribution," said Li Ming, CEO of NewTV, an internet television media platform.