Technology is accelerating this growth. In 2025, AI-powered translation facilitated a leapfrog in content volume, with WebNovel adding over 10,000 new AI-translated works. This has shattered language barriers, allowing works written in Thai, Korean, Filipino and Turkish to achieve significant market breakthroughs.

Yet, industry leaders are now focusing on cultivating local ecosystems rather than merely exporting translations.

"Translating and transporting Chinese web novels is no longer enough," said Wang Zhongjie, general manager of Yuewen Group's overseas business.

"Global audiences crave short, concise, and fast-paced content. The instant gratification design inherent in online literature aligns perfectly with this trend."

"We are encouraging global creation," he added. "We hope to see a deeper integration with local communities overseas, cultivating a truly indigenous content ecosystem."

Wang said the future lies in technology and integration. "AI capabilities are enabling multilingual and multi-format content, unlocking enormous potential. For instance, a Latin American writer focusing on Eastern themes can now have their stories read globally in over 10 languages."

Wang Xingquan, director of the sci-tech innovation office at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, views this as a fundamental shift in the global cultural map.

He said before 2015, global culture was dominated by the "California cluster", which mainly refers to Hollywood and Western pop. "But with the mobile internet boom, China gained a first-mover advantage," he said.

"Chinese-style entertainment forms — web novels, short dramas and mobile games — are becoming dominant," Wang added. "It's not just about exporting content, but also about exporting a narrative system and a worldview that serves as a global cultural framework."

From digital to physical

As these digital stories gain traction, they are spilling over into the physical world. The challenge for the industry, however, is bridging the "cultural discount", the loss of meaning or nuance when a story moves from one culture to another.