Southeast Asians embrace Chinese minidramas as Beijing expands influence

8-minute installments are hot in Indonesia and Thailand, creating business opportunities

20250404 Indonesian with smartphone

Indonesia ranked second in 2024's top 10 countries for Chinese minidrama downloads. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)

BELINDA YOHANA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT

JAKARTA/BANGKOK -- Southeast Asians have developed a taste for Chinese minidramas, underscoring the country's tenacity in expanding its cultural influence amid growing economic interdependence in the region.

Fans of short serial dramas -- which last around eight minutes, are usually watched via an app and notably are subscription-free -- argue that even though they might not feature the best acting, the stories can be more engaging and authentic compared with content from Japan or South Korea.

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