China's online audiovisual sector has surpassed all other internet applications by user base -- 1.099 billion users now spend an average of 201 minutes a day on online video, making it the country's most dominant digital habit. The industry surged to nearly 188 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, powered by short videos -- the gateway for 44.6% of new internet users -- and a boom in micro dramas, which are rapidly overtaking traditional long-form content. Behind the scenes, AI is flooding the ecosystem, generating over 2 billion clips in a single year -- a 14-fold explosion -- reshaping how content is created and consumed. ■