Uniting Web authors and redefining historical narratives to reach the world

Amid China's intensified efforts to expand its global cultural reach, Jiang Shengnan, a CPPCC National Committee member and renowned online literature author, has proposed comprehensive reforms to regulate the rapidly growing Web literature sector and revitalize historical television dramas as vehicles for better promoting Chinese culture overseas.

According to a report released by the China Writers Association in 2024, the number of China's online literature users surpassed 500 million in 2023. The 2023 blue book of ­China's online literature revealed that more than 30 million literary works had been published online by the end of 2023, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The latest data shows that as of November 2024, WebNovel, a subsidiary of Chinese online literature platform Yuewen, had already translated 6,000 Chinese novels into other languages, nurtured 450,000 overseas writers and attracted 300 million users across more than 200 countries and regions, according to a report by The Paper.

"Given the massive scale of online writers and internet users in China, it is essential to establish a national online writers association," Jiang said, adding that the association could help unify fragmented regional groups, provide legal support, and incentivize socially responsible storytelling through national awards.

Citing Zhejiang Province's success in incubating cross-media hits involving collaboration between writer villages and research institutes, Jiang emphasized transitioning the sector from "unchecked expansion to curated excellence," ensuring stories reflect values like "harmony in diversity" while remaining globally appealing.

Jiang noted that many hit dramas are adapted from online literature. However, many screenwriters only focus on adapting the top-ranked online novels, without realizing that many of these works suffer from severe homogenization. Parallel reforms target China's historical dramas, which face a paradox: While costume series have gained international traction, many prioritize exaggerated fictional stories over authentic narratives.

Jiang warned this trend risks ceding cultural interpretation rights, particularly as foreign productions reinterpret East Asian history.

"When foreign productions reinterpret East Asian history, we risk ceding the right to define our own heritage," she stated, advocating for state-backed initiatives like the "Huaxia Civilization Project" to fund high-quality scripts and promoting them through international platforms such as the "Belt and Road Film Week."

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