China's online literature gains global reach

As Chinese stories travel across borders through online literature, the medium has become part of the "new three pillars" of China's cultural exports—alongside online dramas and games—serving as a key bridge for sharing traditional Chinese culture with the world.

On Sept 26, the 2025 China International Online Literature Week opened in Hangzhou, bringing together hundreds of writers, critics, industry representatives and communication experts from around the world to explore strategies for boosting the global reach of Chinese online literature.

Today, online literature has evolved beyond a standalone literary form. With its unique storytelling and diverse genres, it is driving innovation in popular culture and advancing toward higher-quality mainstream development. The China Online Literature International Communication Report (2025), released at the event, revealed that China now has around 200 million active overseas readers of online literature, spanning more than 200 countries and regions.

"From the release of the International Communication Report to the launch of the 'Beautiful China International Writing Program', we are witnessing remarkable progress in taking Chinese online literature global," said Wang Zhixiang, deputy director of the China Writers Association's Online Literature Center. "Policy support and technological advancements are opening up tremendous opportunities for the industry."

However, Wang also pointed to the challenges ahead: "How can we further improve the quality and depth of works, so that they reflect China's latest developments while resonating with global audiences? How do we build more efficient international communication channels? How do we deepen integration between online literature, film, TV and games to create global IPs? These are questions that call for collective wisdom."

Guests from around the world offered fresh insights into the global development of online literature and shared successful cases of collaboration with China.

Iranian scholar Nematollah Iranzadeh noted that Iran has built a diverse online literature ecosystem, with digital books and audiobooks widely available and social media serving as a major channel for dissemination. "Young writers attract readers by serializing their work online, later gaining opportunities for print publication. This proves that human creativity will always hold an edge over AI algorithms," he said. He highlighted recent China-Iran collaborations, including the Persian audiobook version of Lord of the Myriad Realms, the co-produced micro-drama The Glazed Beauty that sparked debate on university campuses, and the bilingual series Persian Tales, which became popular on Bilibili and Douyin—vivid examples of cultural exchange.

Charles-Emmanuel Dewees, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Chireads, a French platform dedicated to translating and promoting Chinese online literature, compared cross-border dissemination to a "multiplayer instance" in online games: "Overseas readers often encounter Chinese culture through anime and games before coming back to read the original novels. Social media sometimes has a stronger impact than official channels. We need to work with influencers and take part in local cultural festivals, such as the Hero Festival in Marseille, to give Chinese works a stronger presence in Asia-themed exhibition zones."

Dewees added that AI can boost translation efficiency, but "elegance"—the "ya" in the classic Chinese standard of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance"—still requires a human touch. "We cannot sacrifice artistic integrity in pursuit of commercial gains," he said.

According to the International Communication Report, the overseas revenue of China's online literature industry reached 4.815 billion yuan in 2024. Asia remains the strongest market, accounting for about 80 percent of readers and over half of global market share. North America is a key growth region, making up around 30 percent of the global market.